Mechanisms to control laser-plasma coupling in laser wakefield electron acceleration
(2022) In Physical Review Accelerators and Beams 25(10).- Abstract
Experimental results, supported by precise modeling, demonstrate optimization of a plasma-based injector with intermediate laser pulse energy (<1 J), corresponding to a normalized vector potential a0=2.15, using ionization injection in a tailored plasma density profile. An increase in electron bunch quality and energy is achieved experimentally with the extension of the density downramp at the plasma exit. Optimization of the focal position of the laser pulse in the tailored plasma density profile is shown to efficiently reduce electron bunch angular deviation, leading to a better alignment of the electron bunch with the laser axis. Single peak electron spectra are produced in a previously unexplored regime by combining an early... (More)
Experimental results, supported by precise modeling, demonstrate optimization of a plasma-based injector with intermediate laser pulse energy (<1 J), corresponding to a normalized vector potential a0=2.15, using ionization injection in a tailored plasma density profile. An increase in electron bunch quality and energy is achieved experimentally with the extension of the density downramp at the plasma exit. Optimization of the focal position of the laser pulse in the tailored plasma density profile is shown to efficiently reduce electron bunch angular deviation, leading to a better alignment of the electron bunch with the laser axis. Single peak electron spectra are produced in a previously unexplored regime by combining an early focal position and adaptive optic control of the laser wavefront by optimizing the symmetry of the prefocal laser energy distribution. Experimental results have been validated through particle-in-cell simulations using realistic laser energy, phase distribution, and temporal envelope, allowing for accurate predictions of difficult to model parameters, such as total charge and spatial properties of the electron bunches, opening the way for more accurate modeling for the design of plasma-based accelerators.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Physical Review Accelerators and Beams
- volume
- 25
- issue
- 10
- article number
- 101301
- publisher
- American Physical Society
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85141608535
- ISSN
- 2469-9888
- DOI
- 10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.25.101301
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 36e7b08e-be91-4cc7-9b15-fca8c6e57633
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-05 09:33:26
- date last changed
- 2023-04-09 07:41:35
@article{36e7b08e-be91-4cc7-9b15-fca8c6e57633, abstract = {{<p>Experimental results, supported by precise modeling, demonstrate optimization of a plasma-based injector with intermediate laser pulse energy (<1 J), corresponding to a normalized vector potential a0=2.15, using ionization injection in a tailored plasma density profile. An increase in electron bunch quality and energy is achieved experimentally with the extension of the density downramp at the plasma exit. Optimization of the focal position of the laser pulse in the tailored plasma density profile is shown to efficiently reduce electron bunch angular deviation, leading to a better alignment of the electron bunch with the laser axis. Single peak electron spectra are produced in a previously unexplored regime by combining an early focal position and adaptive optic control of the laser wavefront by optimizing the symmetry of the prefocal laser energy distribution. Experimental results have been validated through particle-in-cell simulations using realistic laser energy, phase distribution, and temporal envelope, allowing for accurate predictions of difficult to model parameters, such as total charge and spatial properties of the electron bunches, opening the way for more accurate modeling for the design of plasma-based accelerators.</p>}}, author = {{Dickson, L. T. and Underwood, C. I.D. and Filippi, F. and Shalloo, R. J. and Svensson, J. Björklund and Guénot, D. and Svendsen, K. and Moulanier, I. and Dufrénoy, S. Dobosz and Murphy, C. D. and Lopes, N. C. and Rajeev, P. P. and Najmudin, Z. and Cantono, G. and Persson, A. and Lundh, O. and Maynard, G. and Streeter, M. J.V. and Cros, B.}}, issn = {{2469-9888}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{10}}, publisher = {{American Physical Society}}, series = {{Physical Review Accelerators and Beams}}, title = {{Mechanisms to control laser-plasma coupling in laser wakefield electron acceleration}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.25.101301}}, doi = {{10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.25.101301}}, volume = {{25}}, year = {{2022}}, }