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The new generation of multi-petawatt (PW) class laser systems will generallycombine several beamlines. We here investigate how to arrange their irradiationgeometry in order to optimize their coupling with solid targets, as well as theyields and beam quality of the produced particles. We first report on aproof-of-principle experiment, performed at the Rutherford Appleton LaboratoryVulcan laser facility, where two intense laser beams were overlapped in amirror-like configuration onto a solid target, preceded by a long preplasma. Weshow that when the laser beams were close enough to each other, the generationof hot electrons at the target front was much improved and so was the ionacceleration at the target backside, both in terms of their maximum energy andcollimation. The underlying mechanism is pinpointed with multidimensionalparticle-in-cell simulations, which demonstrate that the magnetic fieldsself-induced by the electron currents driven by the two laser beams at thetarget front can reconnect, thereby enhancing the production of hot electrons,and favoring their subsequent magnetic guiding across the target. Oursimulations also reveal that the laser coupling with the target can be furtherimproved when overlapping more than two beamlines. This multi-beam scheme wouldobviously be highly beneficial to the multi-PW laser projects proposed now andin the near future worldwide.

Optimizing the laser coupling, matter heating, and particle acceleration from solids by using multiplexed ultraintense lasers