Scissor-cross ionization injection in laser wakefield accelerators

We propose to use a frequency doubled pulse colliding with the driving pulse at an acute angle to trigger ionization injection in a laser wakefield accelerator. This scheme effectively reduces the duration that injection occurs, thus high injection quality is obtained. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that electron beams with energy of ~500 MeV, charge of ~40 pC, energy spread of ~1% and normalized emittance of a few millimeter milliradian can be produced by ~100 TW laser pulses. By adjusting the angle between the two pulses, the intensity of the trigger pulse and the gas dope ratio, the charge and energy spread of the electron beam can be controlled.

Parametric study of high-energy ring-shaped electron beams from a laser wakefield accelerator

Laser wakefield accelerators commonly produce on-axis, low-divergence, high-energy electron beams. However, a high charge, annular shaped beam can be trapped outside the bubble and accelerated to high energies. Here we present a parametric study on the production of low-energy-spread, ultra-relativistic electron ring beams in a two-stage gas cell. Ring-shaped beams with energies higher than 750 MeV are observed simultaneously with on axis, continuously injected electrons. Often multiple ring shaped beams with different energies are produced and parametric studies to control the generation and properties of these structures were conducted. Particle tracking and particle-in-cell simulations are used to determine properties of these beams and investigate how they are formed and trapped outside the bubble by the wake produced by on-axis injected electrons. These unusual femtosecond duration, high-charge, high-energy, ring electron beams may find use in beam driven plasma wakefield accelerators and radiation sources.

Plasma guiding using a chaperone pre-pulse for stable wakefield generation

Achieving high quality electron beams in laser wakefield accelerators requires stable guiding of the intense driving laser pulse, which is challenging because of mode mismatching due to relativistic self-focusing. Here we show how an intense pre-pulse can be used to prepare the phase-space distribution of plasma electrons encountered by a trailing laser pulse so that it produces its own well-matched guiding channel, while minimising wakefield evolution. Controlling the propagation of high intensity laser pulses is an essential step in developing useful wakefield accelerators and compact radiation sources.