  Efficient laser ion acceleration requires high laser intensities, which can
only be obtained by tightly focusing laser radiation. In the radiation pressure
acceleration regime, where the tightly focused laser driver leads to the
appearance of the fundamental limit for the maximum attainable ion energy, this
limit corresponds to the laser pulse group velocity as well as to another limit
connected with the transverse expansion of the accelerated foil and consequent
onset of the foil transparency. These limits can be relaxed by using composite
targets, consisting of a thin foil followed by a near critical density slab.
Such targets provide guiding of a laser pulse inside a self-generated channel
and background electrons, being snowplowed by the pulse, compensate for the
transverse expansion. The use of composite targets results in a significant
increase in maximum ion energy, compared to a single foil target case.

Plasma Physics