Effect of Laser-Focusing Conditions on Propagation and Monoenergetic Electron Production in Laser-Wakefield Accelerators

Journal Article · Fri Mar 02 04:00:00 EST 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.095004· OSTI ID:20957705

Thomas, A G. R.; Najmudin, Z; Mangles, S P. D.; Dangor, A E; Kamperidis, C; Krushelnick, K ^[1]; Murphy, C D ^[1]; Lancaster, K L; Norreys, P A ^[2]; Mori, W B ^[3]; Rozmus, W ^[4]

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1. Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
2. Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)
3. University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)
4. Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada)

The effect of laser-focusing conditions on the evolution of relativistic plasma waves in laser-wakefield accelerators is studied both experimentally and with particle-in-cell simulations. For short focal-length (w{sub 0}<{lambda}{sub p}) interactions, beam breakup prevents stable propagation of the pulse. High field gradients lead to nonlocalized phase injection of electrons, and thus broad energy spread beams. However, for long focal-length geometries (w{sub 0}>{lambda}{sub p}), a single optical filament can capture the majority of the laser energy and self-guide over distances comparable to the dephasing length, even for these short pulses (c{tau}{approx_equal}{lambda}{sub p}). This allows the wakefield to evolve to the correct shape for the production of the monoenergetic electron bunches, as measured in the experiment.

• OSTI ID: 20957705
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 98; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BEAM INJECTION
CAPTURE
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
EVOLUTION
FOCUSING
LASERS
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMA WAVES
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
WAKEFIELD ACCELERATORS