Numerical Investigation of Enhanced High-Intensity Laser–Matter Interactions in Nanowire-Coated Conical Targets

Nanostructured targets are increasingly used as key components in high-power laser-matter interaction experiments due to their ability to substantially enhance laser absorption, increase ion/electron generation, or boost the secondary radiation (THz, X-ray, etc.) in accordance with the actual scientific requirements in ultraintense regimes. Their tailored surface features influence the way the energy is deposited in the material, leading to significantly enhanced interaction effects compared to the flat conventional targets. In this study, we numerically investigate the mechanisms of laser field intensification occurring in the interaction between an ultraintense laser pulse and a nanostructured conical target. In order to provide a complex spatio-temporal description of the laser intensity evolution in the interaction area, we developed a 2D finite-difference time-domain model in accordance with the relative spatial extension of the pulse. The laser field intensification is numerically investigated in the vicinity of the laser matter interaction point considering four different materials of the nanopatterned conical targets and variable laser beam parameters in order to determine the optimum conditions to streamline the laser field enrichment in the laser solid targets interaction area. The numerical results show that the designed nanostructured profile of the internal cone target walls under imposed particular conditions induces a highly controllable increase in laser field intensity. Consequently, this enhanced field localization highlights the essential role of nanostructured design in advancing ultraintense laser applications that require efficient energy coupling and extreme field concentrations.