Review of Laser Plasma Accelerated Ultra-Intense Electron Beam for Nuclear Applications

Ultra-intense electron beams based upon laser-plasma accelerators have several superior properties compared with traditional radio-frequency accelerators. These characteristics include femtosecond duration, micro-source size, and ultra-dense beam density, rendering advantages for various applications. In this paper, we reviewed the generation of the ultra-intense electron beam and its nuclear applications in Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), including the neutron source generation with flux on the order of 1019 n/cm2/s, and the nuclear isomers excitation with the peak efficiency on the order of 1015 particle/s. This laser-driving ultra-dense electron source presents immense potential in addressing critical problems in astrophysics and facilitating various nuclear applications.