Single-event fast neutron time-of-flight spectrometry with a petawatt-laser-driven neutron source
- M. A. Millán-Callado
- S. Scheuren
- A. Alejo
- J. Benlliure
- R. Beyer
- T. E. Cowan
- B. Fernández
- E. Griesmayer
- A. R. Junghans
- J. Kohl
- F. Kroll
- J. Metzkes-Ng
- I. Prencipe
- J. M. Quesada
- M. Rehwald
- C. Rödel
- T. Rodríguez-González
- U. Schramm
- M. Roth
- R. Štefaníková
- S. Urlass
- C. Weiss
- K. Zeil
- T. Ziegler
- C. Guerrero
2026-04-01
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.