Laser-driven protons are promising sources for cancer radiotherapy because of their unique advantages such as high instantaneous flux, small source size and broad energy spread. Recently, FLASH radiotherapy based on laser-driven protons, which delivers dose to a tumor with an ultra-high dose rate, has demonstrated reduced normal-tissue toxicity while preserving tumor-control efficacy. By utilizing PW fs lasers, the generation of protons > 100 MeV has been reported by multiple groups, which further strengthens the feasibility of their clinical use. However, these achievements were mainly achieved in single-shot experiments. For actual implementation of the radiotherapy treatment plan, high-rep and continuous generation of proton beams are essential. In this talk, I will address the critical challenges in high-rep and continuous generation of high-energy protons with PW lasers, and introduce our recent progress towards medical application in Peking University.

laser ion acceleration,high-power laser-plasma interaction