PIC Simulations of Laser-Induced Proton Acceleration by Resonant Nanoantennas for Fusion

Rapid recent development in laser technology and methods learned fromrelativistic heavy ion physics led to new possibilities for fusion. Using aHydrogen rich UDMA-TEGDMA polymer fusion target, laser irradiation ionizes thetarget. If we implant nanoantennas into the target resonating to the laserlight frequency massive number of electrons of the ionized plasma resonatewithin the nanoantenna forming a so called nanoplasmonic wave. Our kineticmodel simulation with a Hydrogen target indicates that the field of theseresonating electrons attracts and accelerates the surrounding protons of theplasma to multi-MeV energy. These protons are then energetic enough to achievenuclear transmutation and fusion reactions. Without resonating nanoantennathere is no such collective proton acceleration, no energetic protons, andnuclear reactions at 30 mJ laser pulse energy.