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Title: Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters

Here, we report on the experimental observation of a decreased self-injection threshold by using laser pulses with circular polarization in laser wakefield acceleration experiments in a nonpreformed plasma, compared to the usually employed linear polarization. A significantly higher electron beam charge was also observed for circular polarization compared to linear polarization over a wide range of parameters. Theoretical analysis and quasi-3D particle-in-cell simulations reveal that the self-injection and hence the laser wakefield acceleration is polarization dependent and indicate a different injection mechanism for circularly polarized laser pulses, originating from larger momentum gain by electrons during above threshold ionization. This enables electrons to meet the trapping condition more easily, and the resulting higher plasma temperature was confirmed via spectroscopy of the XUV plasma emission.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF); Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Sciences; US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000; SC0019255; NA0003525; FWP-14-017426; NA-0003525; SC0019186; PHY-1753165; 1725482; FA9550-16-1-0121; EP/G054950/1; EP/G056803/1; EP/G055165/1; EP/M022463/1
OSTI ID:
1798138
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1604865; OSTI ID: 1787515
Report Number(s):
SAND-2021-6717J; SAND-2019-13455J; 696693; TRN: US2210654
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 124, Issue 11; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 10 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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