Laser acceleration of electrons in vacuum up to energies of {approx} 10{sup 9} eV

Journal Article · Sat Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 2004 · Quantum Electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1070/QE2004V034N02ABEH002597· OSTI ID:21470465

Bahari, A ^[1]; Taranukhin, Vladimir D ^[2]

---

1. Department of Physics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)
2. International Laser Center, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow (Russian Federation)

A new mechanism of laser acceleration of charged particles is investigated in detail. Upon irradiation by tightly focused high-intensity ultrashort laser pulses, the acceleration of electrons travelling along the laser beam axis is determined by the longitudinal ponderomotive force and the longitudinal component of the electric field of the laser wave. It is found that the action of the longitudinal field on an electron may be unidirectional during many optical cycles, i.e., the phase slip effect is overcome. Lasers with currently highest possible parameters are shown to enable electron acceleration up to energies {epsilon} {approx} 1 GeV, which is comparable to the energies attainable on 'large' accelerators of the SLAC type ({epsilon} {approx} 30 - 50 GeV). Unlike the schemes considered in the literature, the acceleration in this case is insensitive to the initial field phase (the effect of electron bunching is absent), it is possible to accelerate slow (nonrelativistic) electrons, and the problem of accelerated electron extraction from the field does not exist. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

• OSTI ID: 21470465
• Journal Information: Quantum Electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.), Vol. 34, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1070/QE2004v034n02ABEH002597; ISSN 1063-7818
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
EV RANGE
GEV RANGE
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
PHASE SHIFT
PHOTON BEAMS
PONDEROMOTIVE FORCE
PULSES
STANFORD LINEAR ACCELERATOR CENTER
BEAMS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
FERMIONS
LEPTON BEAMS
LEPTONS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PARTICLE BEAMS
RADIATIONS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS