Robust autoresonant excitation in the plasma beat-waveaccelerator: A theoretical study
A modified version of the Plasma Beat-Wave Accelerator scheme is introduced and analyzed, which is based on autoresonant phase-locking of the nonlinear Langmuir wave to the slowly chirped beat frequency of the driving lasers via adiabatic passage through resonance. This new scheme is designed to overcome some of the well-known limitations of previous approaches, namely relativistic detuning and nonlinear modulation or other non-uniformity or non-stationarity in the driven Langmuir wave amplitude, and sensitivity to frequency mismatch due to measurement uncertainties and density fluctuations and inhomogeneities. As in previous schemes, modulational instabilities of the ionic background ultimately limit the useful interaction time, but nevertheless peak electric fields at or approaching the wave-breaking limit seem readily attainable. Compared to traditional approaches, the autoresonant scheme achieves larger accelerating electric fields for given laser intensity, or comparable fields for less laser power; the plasma wave excitation is much more robust to variations or uncertainties in plasma density; it is largely insensitive to the precise choice of chirp rate, provided only that chirping is sufficiently slow; and the quality and uniformity of the resulting plasma wave and its suitability for accelerator applications may be superior. In underdense plasmas, the total frequency shift required is only of the order of a few percent of the laser carrier frequency, and for possible experimental proofs-of-principle, the scheme might be implemented with relatively little additional modification to existing systems based on either solid-state amplifiers and Chirped Pulse Amplification techniques, or, with somewhat greater technological effort, using a CO{sub 2} or other gas laser system.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of High EnergyPhysics; Department of Defense. Defense Advanced Research ProjectsAgency; Israel Science Foundation
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 859724
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-57303; CBP Note - 681; PRLTAO; R&D Project: 455301; BnR: KA1501020; TRN: US0504872
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 93; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 2004; ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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