This work takes place in the framework of the characterization and theoptimization of laser-driven electron and photon sources. With the goal of usingthese sources for nuclear physics experiments, we focused on 2 energy ranges:one around a few MeV and the other around a few tens of keV. The first partof this work is thus dedicated to the study of detectors routinely used forthe characterization of laser-driven particle sources: Imaging Plates. A modelhas been developed and is fitted to experimental data. Response functions toelectrons, photons, protons and alpha particles are established for SR, MS andTR Fuji Imaging Plates for energies ranging from a few keV to several MeV. Thesecond part of this work present a study of ultrashort and intense electron andphoton sources produced in the interaction of a laser with a solid or liquid target.An experiment was conducted at the ELFIE facility at LULI where beams ofelectrons and photons were accelerated up to several MeV. Energy and angulardistributions of the electron and photons beams were characterized. The sourceswere optimized by varying the spatial extension of the plasma at both the frontand the back end of the initial target position. In the optimal configuration ofthe laser-plasma coupling, more than 10exponent11 electrons were accelerated. In the caseof liquid target, a photon source was produced at a high repetition rate on anenergy range of tens of keV by the interaction of the AURORE Laser at CELIA(10exponent16 W cm exponent-2) and a melted gallium target. It was shown that both the meanenergy and the photon number can be increased by creating gallium jets at thesurface of the liquid target with a pre-pulse. A physical interpretation supportedby numerical simulations is proposed.
