Single-event fast neutron time-of-flight spectrometry with a petawatt-laser-driven neutron source

Abstract

Abstract Laser-driven neutron sources (LDNSs) offer unique advantages for fundamental physics and applications: ultrashort pulses providing superior energy resolution, high instantaneous flux, and a reduced footprint. While single-event neutron spectroscopy has been demonstrated with epithermal neutrons, its application for fast neutrons is more challenging and remains unproven. This demands stable multi-shot operation and detectors resilient to this particularly extreme environment. Here, a proof-of-concept experiment at the DRACO PW laser is presented. This setup stably produced  ~ 10 8 fast neutrons per shot sustained over more than 200 shots at a shot-per-minute rate. Neutron time-of-flight measurements with a diamond detector at only 150 cm from the source resolved individual neutron-induced reactions at a rate consistent with simulations informed by real-time diagnostics of accompanying gammas, ions, and electrons. Combined with the recent advances in the field, this work establishes LDNSs as a promising, scalable platform for future fast neutron-induced reaction studies, particularly those involving short-lived isotopes.