Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator
Abstract
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.
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- 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)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1798138
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1604865; OSTI ID: 1787515
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-2021-6717J; SAND-2019-13455J
Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007; 696693; TRN: US2210654
- 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
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 124; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; Laser Wakefield acceleration; laser-plasma interactions; plasma ionization; plasma production & heating by laser beams, laser-foil, laser-cluster; radiation & particle generation in plasmas; laser driven electron acceleration; particle acceleration in plasmas; plasma acceleration & new acceleration techniques; particle-in-cell methods; spectroscopy
Citation Formats
Ma, Y., Seipt, D., Hussein, A. E., Hakimi, S., Beier, N. F., Hansen, S. B., Hinojosa, J., Maksimchuk, A., Nees, J., Krushelnick, K., Thomas, A. G. R., and Dollar, F. Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.124.114801.
Ma, Y., Seipt, D., Hussein, A. E., Hakimi, S., Beier, N. F., Hansen, S. B., Hinojosa, J., Maksimchuk, A., Nees, J., Krushelnick, K., Thomas, A. G. R., & Dollar, F. Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.124.114801
Ma, Y., Seipt, D., Hussein, A. E., Hakimi, S., Beier, N. F., Hansen, S. B., Hinojosa, J., Maksimchuk, A., Nees, J., Krushelnick, K., Thomas, A. G. R., and Dollar, F. Mon .
"Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.124.114801. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1798138.
@article{osti_1798138,
title = {Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator},
author = {Ma, Y. and Seipt, D. and Hussein, A. E. and Hakimi, S. and Beier, N. F. and Hansen, S. B. and Hinojosa, J. and Maksimchuk, A. and Nees, J. and Krushelnick, K. and Thomas, A. G. R. and Dollar, F.},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1103/physrevlett.124.114801},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 11,
volume = 124,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2020},
month = {Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 EDT 2020}
}
Web of Science
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