Dynamic study of compressed electron layer driven by linearly polarized laser

The dynamics of the compressed electron layer (CEL) are investigated when a linearly polarized (LP) laser pulse irradiates a plasma target. The turbulent motion of the CEL is investigated by a simple model, which is verified by particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. It is found that the compressed layer disperses in a few cycles of the laser duration, because the CEL comes back with a large velocity in the opposite direction of the laser incident. A larger wavelength laser can be used to tailor the proton beam by reducing the turbulence of the CEL in the region of the LP laser acceleration. (paper)