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Volume 11 Issue 5
Sep.  2026
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Article Contents
Qingfan Wu, Ying Gao, Minjian Wu, Jiarui Zhao, Shiyou Chen, Tianhao Liang, Haoran Chen, Tan Song, Zhongshuai Zhang, Zhangyi Wu, Shirui Xu, Ziyang Peng, Tianqi Xu, Zhuo Pan, Yujia Zhang, Qihang Han, Ke Chen, Chenghao Hua, Pengcheng Fan, Yuntian Xie, Yifei Shen, Shengxuan Xu, Liyong Ma, Yixing Geng, Chen Lin, Yanying Zhao, Xueqing Yan, Wenjun Ma. HotLoop optimization of petawatt laser focal spot via a twin-focus scheme[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(5): 057201. doi: 10.1063/5.0325110
Citation: Qingfan Wu, Ying Gao, Minjian Wu, Jiarui Zhao, Shiyou Chen, Tianhao Liang, Haoran Chen, Tan Song, Zhongshuai Zhang, Zhangyi Wu, Shirui Xu, Ziyang Peng, Tianqi Xu, Zhuo Pan, Yujia Zhang, Qihang Han, Ke Chen, Chenghao Hua, Pengcheng Fan, Yuntian Xie, Yifei Shen, Shengxuan Xu, Liyong Ma, Yixing Geng, Chen Lin, Yanying Zhao, Xueqing Yan, Wenjun Ma. HotLoop optimization of petawatt laser focal spot via a twin-focus scheme[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(5): 057201. doi: 10.1063/5.0325110

HotLoop optimization of petawatt laser focal spot via a twin-focus scheme

doi: 10.1063/5.0325110
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  • Corresponding author: a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: jrzhao@pku.edu.cn and wenjun.ma@pku.edu.cn
  • Received Date: 2026-01-29
  • Accepted Date: 2026-05-07
  • Available Online: 2026-09-28
  • Publish Date: 2026-09-01
  • Achieving diffraction-limited focusing of high-power laser pulses to generate ultrahigh intensities is crucial for developing compact laser-driven particle accelerators and exploring strong-field quantum electrodynamics. However, accurately diagnosing and optimizing the focal spots of petawatt (PW) laser pulses remains a significant challenge. In this work, we present an experimental methodology utilizing a twin-focus scheme to precisely characterize the intensity distribution and wavefront of focused PW femtosecond laser pulses, and employ it to elucidate their power-dependent evolution. Furthermore, we optimize the focal spots at full power via our in situ wavefront correction method called “HotLoop,” achieving a Strehl ratio of 0.80 for 1 PW laser pulses. Consequently, the cutoff proton energies in laser proton acceleration experiments are significantly enhanced. The success of this approach underscores the necessity of in situ high-energy wavefront correction for ultrahigh-intensity laser–matter interactions.
  • Conflict of Interest
    The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
    Qingfan Wu: Conceptualization (lead); Data curation (lead); Formal analysis (lead); Investigation (lead); Methodology (lead); Software (lead); Validation (lead); Visualization (lead); Writing – original draft (lead). Ying Gao: Investigation (equal). Minjian Wu: Investigation (equal). Jiarui Zhao: Data curation (lead); Funding acquisition (equal); Investigation (equal); Project administration (equal); Supervision (equal). Shiyou Chen: Investigation (equal). Tianhao Liang: Investigation (equal). Haoran Chen: Investigation (equal). Tan Song: Investigation (equal). Zhongshuai Zhang: Investigation (equal). Zhangyi Wu: Investigation (equal). Shirui Xu: Investigation (equal). Ziyang Peng: Investigation (equal). Tianqi Xu: Investigation (equal). Zhuo Pan: Investigation (equal). Yujia Zhang: Investigation (equal). Qihang Han: Investigation (equal). Ke Chen: Investigation (equal). Chenghao Hua: Investigation (equal). Pengcheng Fan: Investigation (equal). Yuntian Xie: Investigation (equal). Yifei Shen: Investigation (equal). Shengxuan Xu: Investigation (equal). Liyong Ma: Investigation (equal). Yixing Geng: Investigation (equal). Chen Lin: Investigation (equal). Yanying Zhao: Investigation (equal). Xueqing Yan: Funding acquisition (lead); Project administration (lead); Resources (lead). Wenjun Ma: Conceptualization (lead); Funding acquisition (lead); Project administration (lead); Resources (lead); Supervision (lead); Writing – review & editing (lead).
    Author Contributions
    The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.
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