Ultrashort megaelectronvolt positron beam generation based on laser-accelerated electrons

Experimental generation of ultrashort MeV positron beams with high intensity and high density using a compact laser-driven setup is reported. A high-density gas jet is employed experimentally to generate MeV electrons with high charge; thus, a charge-neutralized MeV positron beam with high density is obtained during laser-accelerated electrons irradiating high-Z solid targets. It is a novel electron-positron source for the study of laboratory astrophysics. Meanwhile, the MeV positron beam is pulsed with an ultrashort duration of tens of femtoseconds and has a high peak intensity of 7.8 x 10(21) s(-1), thus allows specific studies of fast kinetics in millimeter-thick materials with a high time resolution and exhibits potential for applications in positron annihilation spectroscopy. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.