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Energy Bunching from Subcycle Ionization Injection in Laser Wakefield Acceleration

Angella, A. LU ; Löfquist, E. LU ; Gustafsson, C. LU orcid ; Poulain, V. LU orcid ; D’Souza, F. LU ; Guo, C. LU ; Persson, A. LU ; Eng-Johnsson, P. LU orcid ; Wahlström, C. G. LU and Lundh, O. LU orcid (2026) In Physical Review Letters 136(6).
Abstract

We report the first experimental observation of carrier-envelope phase-driven energy bunching in laser wakefield acceleration. Using a few-cycle (∼9 fs), multiterawatt laser pulse and ionization injection in a helium-nitrogen gas mixture, we observe electron spectra composed of multiple quasimonoenergetic peaks with regular narrow energy spacing. This comb structure arises from intermittent trapping from successive half-cycles of the laser field enabled by the evolving carrier-envelope phase during propagation in the plasma. These findings establish subcycle ionization injection as a potential route to attosecond control in plasma acceleration, enabling trapping and beam structuring synchronized to the optical waveform on subfemtosecond... (More)

We report the first experimental observation of carrier-envelope phase-driven energy bunching in laser wakefield acceleration. Using a few-cycle (∼9 fs), multiterawatt laser pulse and ionization injection in a helium-nitrogen gas mixture, we observe electron spectra composed of multiple quasimonoenergetic peaks with regular narrow energy spacing. This comb structure arises from intermittent trapping from successive half-cycles of the laser field enabled by the evolving carrier-envelope phase during propagation in the plasma. These findings establish subcycle ionization injection as a potential route to attosecond control in plasma acceleration, enabling trapping and beam structuring synchronized to the optical waveform on subfemtosecond timescales.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Physical Review Letters
volume
136
issue
6
article number
065001
publisher
American Physical Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:105029896954
ISSN
0031-9007
DOI
10.1103/kwlg-yjl9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2026 authors. Published by the American Physical Society.
id
f07e498d-68f4-4e43-abb6-f382a06909f2
date added to LUP
2026-02-25 15:48:34
date last changed
2026-03-03 09:27:17
@article{f07e498d-68f4-4e43-abb6-f382a06909f2,
  abstract     = {{<p>We report the first experimental observation of carrier-envelope phase-driven energy bunching in laser wakefield acceleration. Using a few-cycle (∼9 fs), multiterawatt laser pulse and ionization injection in a helium-nitrogen gas mixture, we observe electron spectra composed of multiple quasimonoenergetic peaks with regular narrow energy spacing. This comb structure arises from intermittent trapping from successive half-cycles of the laser field enabled by the evolving carrier-envelope phase during propagation in the plasma. These findings establish subcycle ionization injection as a potential route to attosecond control in plasma acceleration, enabling trapping and beam structuring synchronized to the optical waveform on subfemtosecond timescales.</p>}},
  author       = {{Angella, A. and Löfquist, E. and Gustafsson, C. and Poulain, V. and D’Souza, F. and Guo, C. and Persson, A. and Eng-Johnsson, P. and Wahlström, C. G. and Lundh, O.}},
  issn         = {{0031-9007}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{6}},
  publisher    = {{American Physical Society}},
  series       = {{Physical Review Letters}},
  title        = {{Energy Bunching from Subcycle Ionization Injection in Laser Wakefield Acceleration}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/kwlg-yjl9}},
  doi          = {{10.1103/kwlg-yjl9}},
  volume       = {{136}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}