SiC detectors for fast diagnostic of high intensity laser-generated plasmas

SiC detectors, with 80 micron depletion layer, can be used with success in order to detect the radiations emitted from hot plasmas generated by fast and intense laser pulses. Due to the high energy gap with respect to the Si detectors, SiC doesn’t detect the high visible intensity radiation emitted from plasmas but it detects very well UV, X-rays, electrons and ions with high signal-to-noise ratio also at room temperature. It can be employed in two regimes: that of proportionality with the energy deposited in the sensitive volume and that of time-of-flight triggered by the laser shot. In both cases it permits to monitor photons, electrons and ions plasma emitted, giving information on their energy distribution. In particular the electron and ion spectra can be elaborated to permit the measurement of particle energy and of the equivalent plasma temperature. Some investigations performed at Physics Department of Messina University will be presented and discussed.