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Title: Coupling of laser energy into plasma channels

Abstract

Diffractive spreading of a laser pulse imposes severe limitations on the acceleration length and maximum electron energy in the laser wake field accelerator (LWFA). Optical guiding of a laser pulse via plasma channels can extend the laser-plasma interaction distance over many Rayleigh lengths. Energy efficient coupling of laser pulses into and through plasma channels is very important for optimal LWFA performance. Results from simulation parameter studies on channel guiding using the particle-in-cell (PIC) code VORPAL [C. Nieter and J. R. Cary, J. Comput. Phys. 196, 448 (2004)] are presented and discussed. The effects that density ramp length and the position of the laser pulse focus have on coupling into channels are considered. Moreover, the effect of laser energy leakage out of the channel domain and the effects of tunneling ionization of a neutral gas on the guided laser pulse are also investigated. Power spectral diagnostics were developed and used to separate pump depletion from energy leakage. The results of these simulations show that increasing the density ramp length decreases the efficiency of coupling a laser pulse to a channel and increases the energy loss when the pulse is vacuum focused at the channel entrance. Then, large spot size oscillations resultmore » in increased energy leakage. To further analyze the coupling, a differential equation is derived for the laser spot size evolution in the plasma density ramp and channel profiles are simulated. From the numerical solution of this equation, the optimal spot size and location for coupling into a plasma channel with a density ramp are determined. This result is confirmed by the PIC simulations. They show that specifying a vacuum focus location of the pulse in front of the top of the density ramp leads to an actual focus at the top of the ramp due to plasma focusing, resulting in reduced spot size oscillations. In this case, the leakage is significantly reduced and is negligibly affected by ramp length, allowing for efficient use of channels with long ramps.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Tech-X Corporation, 5621 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, Colorado 80303 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20974944
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2721068; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ACCELERATION; DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; ELECTRONS; ENERGY LOSSES; IONIZATION; LASERS; PLASMA; PLASMA DENSITY; PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS; PLASMA SIMULATION; PLASMA WAVES; PULSES; TUNNEL EFFECT; WAKEFIELD ACCELERATORS

Citation Formats

Dimitrov, D A, Giacone, R E, Bruhwiler, D L, Busby, R, Cary, J R, Geddes, C G. R., Esarey, E, Leemans, W P, Tech-X Corporation, 5621 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, Colorado 80303 and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720. Coupling of laser energy into plasma channels. United States: N. p., 2007. Web. doi:10.1063/1.2721068.
Dimitrov, D A, Giacone, R E, Bruhwiler, D L, Busby, R, Cary, J R, Geddes, C G. R., Esarey, E, Leemans, W P, Tech-X Corporation, 5621 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, Colorado 80303 and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, & Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720. Coupling of laser energy into plasma channels. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2721068
Dimitrov, D A, Giacone, R E, Bruhwiler, D L, Busby, R, Cary, J R, Geddes, C G. R., Esarey, E, Leemans, W P, Tech-X Corporation, 5621 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, Colorado 80303 and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720. 2007. "Coupling of laser energy into plasma channels". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2721068.
@article{osti_20974944,
title = {Coupling of laser energy into plasma channels},
author = {Dimitrov, D A and Giacone, R E and Bruhwiler, D L and Busby, R and Cary, J R and Geddes, C G. R. and Esarey, E and Leemans, W P and Tech-X Corporation, 5621 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite A, Boulder, Colorado 80303 and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720},
abstractNote = {Diffractive spreading of a laser pulse imposes severe limitations on the acceleration length and maximum electron energy in the laser wake field accelerator (LWFA). Optical guiding of a laser pulse via plasma channels can extend the laser-plasma interaction distance over many Rayleigh lengths. Energy efficient coupling of laser pulses into and through plasma channels is very important for optimal LWFA performance. Results from simulation parameter studies on channel guiding using the particle-in-cell (PIC) code VORPAL [C. Nieter and J. R. Cary, J. Comput. Phys. 196, 448 (2004)] are presented and discussed. The effects that density ramp length and the position of the laser pulse focus have on coupling into channels are considered. Moreover, the effect of laser energy leakage out of the channel domain and the effects of tunneling ionization of a neutral gas on the guided laser pulse are also investigated. Power spectral diagnostics were developed and used to separate pump depletion from energy leakage. The results of these simulations show that increasing the density ramp length decreases the efficiency of coupling a laser pulse to a channel and increases the energy loss when the pulse is vacuum focused at the channel entrance. Then, large spot size oscillations result in increased energy leakage. To further analyze the coupling, a differential equation is derived for the laser spot size evolution in the plasma density ramp and channel profiles are simulated. From the numerical solution of this equation, the optimal spot size and location for coupling into a plasma channel with a density ramp are determined. This result is confirmed by the PIC simulations. They show that specifying a vacuum focus location of the pulse in front of the top of the density ramp leads to an actual focus at the top of the ramp due to plasma focusing, resulting in reduced spot size oscillations. In this case, the leakage is significantly reduced and is negligibly affected by ramp length, allowing for efficient use of channels with long ramps.},
doi = {10.1063/1.2721068},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20974944}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 4,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007},
month = {Sun Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007}
}