MeV ion beams generated by intense pulsed laser monitored by Silicon Carbide detectors

The high energy ions produced with intense pulsed laser were analyzed with Silicon Carbide detectors. In order to realize high performances and radiation resistant detectors, high quality and thick epitaxial layer were grown on a substrate and a Schottky diodes were then realized. These detectors were employed to probe the plasma generated with a 300 ps laser at intensity of 10(16) W/cm(2) operating at Prague Asterix Laser System Laboratory. They show a fast response and a high sensitivity to high energy ions. Metallic and polymeric thin films were irradiated and the produced plasmas were monitored in forward and backward directions. The analysis of the time-of-flight spectra evidences the emission of protons and ions at different energies. The spectra were deconvolved with a shifted Maxwell Boltzmann distribution. In our experimental conditions we detected protons in the energy range 1.2 - 3.0 MeV and heavy ions between 1.0 MeV up to 40 MeV depending on the target and the laser energy. The results were compared with the ones obtained by Thompson Parabola Spectrometer.