  Time-Of-Flight (TOF) methods are very effective to detect particles
accelerated in laser-plasma interactions, but they shows significant
limitations when used in experiments with high energy and intensity lasers,
where both high-energy ions and remarkable levels of ElectroMagnetic Pulses
(EMPs) in the radiofrequency-microwave range are generated. Here we describe a
novel advanced diagnostic method for the characterization of protons
accelerated by intense matter interactions with high-energy and high-intensity
ultra-short laser pulses up to the femtosecond and even future attosecond
range. The method employs a stacked diamond detector structure and the TOF
technique, featuring high sensitivity, high resolution, high radiation hardness
and high signal-to-noise ratio in environments heavily affected by remarkable
EMP fields. A detailed study on the use, the optimization and the properties of
a single module of the stack is here also described for an experiment where a
fast diamond detector is employed in an highly EMP-polluted environment.
Accurate calibrated spectra of accelerated protons are presented from an
experiment with the femtosecond Flame laser (beyond 100 TW power and ~$10^{19}$
W/cm$^2$ intensity) interacting with thin foil targets. The results that can be
readily applied to the case of complex stack configurations and to more general
experimental conditions.
