Laser-driven production of the medical radioisotope 11C: Paving the route toward preclinical-dose generation

High-power laser systems have the potential to provide a compact and decentralized complementary technology to conventional cyclotrons for the production of medical radioisotopes. Within the Dr. Laser project at Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics, we focus on the production of 11C, a key positron-emitting radionuclide that can be incorporated into a wide range of molecules without altering their biological functionality. This work presents a comprehensive simulation framework for optimizing the entire laser-driven radioisotope production chain. The framework integrates hydrodynamic and particle-in-cell simulations for secondary ion generation from sub-micron liquid targets, as well as nuclear activation calculations for natural and enriched boron. The article also discusses optical techniques for beam focusing and the 11C extraction from target materials, such as boron nitride, boron oxide, and sodium borohydride. The simulation results indicate that current 100-TW-class, 10-Hz laser systems can achieve end-of-irradiation activities of 50–100 MBq. After processing, these activities are expected around 10–20 MBq, which is sufficient for preclinical research studies. Our simulations also show that a system based on 100 TW laser and sub-micron liquid-sheet targets is able to provide stable Target Normal Sheath Acceleration conditions, well suited for efficient laser-driven 11C production.