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Injection of electrons by colliding laser pulses in a laser wakefield accelerator

Hansson, M. LU ; Aurand, B. LU ; Ekerfelt, H. LU ; Persson, A. LU and Lundh, O. LU (2015) In Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment 829. p.99-103
Abstract

To improve the stability and reproducibility of laser wakefield accelerators and to allow for future applications, controlling the injection of electrons is of great importance. This allows us to control the amount of charge in the beams of accelerated electrons and final energy of the electrons. Results are presented from a recent experiment on controlled injection using the scheme of colliding pulses and performed using the Lund multi-terawatt laser. Each laser pulse is split into two parts close to the interaction point. The main pulse is focused on a 2. mm diameter gas jet to drive a nonlinear plasma wave below threshold for self-trapping. The second pulse, containing only a fraction of the total laser energy, is focused to collide... (More)

To improve the stability and reproducibility of laser wakefield accelerators and to allow for future applications, controlling the injection of electrons is of great importance. This allows us to control the amount of charge in the beams of accelerated electrons and final energy of the electrons. Results are presented from a recent experiment on controlled injection using the scheme of colliding pulses and performed using the Lund multi-terawatt laser. Each laser pulse is split into two parts close to the interaction point. The main pulse is focused on a 2. mm diameter gas jet to drive a nonlinear plasma wave below threshold for self-trapping. The second pulse, containing only a fraction of the total laser energy, is focused to collide with the main pulse in the gas jet under an angle of 150°. Beams of accelerated electrons with low divergence and small energy spread are produced using this set-up. Control over the amount of accelerated charge is achieved by rotating the plane of polarization of the second pulse in relation to the main pulse. Furthermore, the peak energy of the electrons in the beams is controlled by moving the collision point along the optical axis of the main pulse, and thereby changing the acceleration length in the plasma.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Colliding pulses, Injection, Laser, Trapping, Wakefield
in
Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment
volume
829
pages
99 - 103
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000379144100019
  • scopus:84959461942
ISSN
0168-9002
DOI
10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.070
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5d75d00e-08c8-44bb-826a-b5e15ab951a2
date added to LUP
2016-04-12 13:08:24
date last changed
2024-01-18 22:12:04
@article{5d75d00e-08c8-44bb-826a-b5e15ab951a2,
  abstract     = {{<p>To improve the stability and reproducibility of laser wakefield accelerators and to allow for future applications, controlling the injection of electrons is of great importance. This allows us to control the amount of charge in the beams of accelerated electrons and final energy of the electrons. Results are presented from a recent experiment on controlled injection using the scheme of colliding pulses and performed using the Lund multi-terawatt laser. Each laser pulse is split into two parts close to the interaction point. The main pulse is focused on a 2. mm diameter gas jet to drive a nonlinear plasma wave below threshold for self-trapping. The second pulse, containing only a fraction of the total laser energy, is focused to collide with the main pulse in the gas jet under an angle of 150°. Beams of accelerated electrons with low divergence and small energy spread are produced using this set-up. Control over the amount of accelerated charge is achieved by rotating the plane of polarization of the second pulse in relation to the main pulse. Furthermore, the peak energy of the electrons in the beams is controlled by moving the collision point along the optical axis of the main pulse, and thereby changing the acceleration length in the plasma.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hansson, M. and Aurand, B. and Ekerfelt, H. and Persson, A. and Lundh, O.}},
  issn         = {{0168-9002}},
  keywords     = {{Colliding pulses; Injection; Laser; Trapping; Wakefield}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  pages        = {{99--103}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors, and Associated Equipment}},
  title        = {{Injection of electrons by colliding laser pulses in a laser wakefield accelerator}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.070}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.nima.2016.02.070}},
  volume       = {{829}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}