An effective scheme of synchronized laser-triggered ion acceleration and the corresponding theoretical model are proposed for a slow light pulse of relativistic intensity, which penetrates into a near-critical-density plasma, strongly slows, and then increases its group velocity during propagation within a target. The 3D particle-in-cell simulations confirm this concept for proton acceleration by a femtosecond petawatt-class laser pulse experiencing relativistic self-focusing, quantify the characteristics of the generated protons, and demonstrate a significant increase of their energy compared with the proton energy generated from optimized ultrathin solid dense foils.

• Received 12 October 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.085004