|
1
|
Timmis RJL, Paddock RW, Ouatu I, Lee J, Howard S, Atonga E, Ruskov RT, Martin H, Wang RHW, Aboushelbaya R, Leyen MWVD, Gumbrell E, Norreys PA. Attosecond and nano-Coulomb electron bunches via the Zero Vector Potential mechanism. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10805. [PMID: 38734711 PMCID: PMC11088705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61041-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The commissioning of multi-petawatt class laser facilities around the world is gathering pace. One of the primary motivations for these investments is the acceleration of high-quality, low-emittance electron bunches. Here we explore the interaction of a high-intensity femtosecond laser pulse with a mass-limited dense target to produce MeV attosecond electron bunches in transmission and confirm with three-dimensional simulation that such bunches have low emittance and nano-Coulomb charge. We then perform a large parameter scan from non-relativistic laser intensities to the laser-QED regime and from the critical plasma density to beyond solid density to demonstrate that the electron bunch energies and the laser pulse energy absorption into the plasma can be quantitatively described via the Zero Vector Potential mechanism. These results have wide-ranging implications for future particle accelerator science and associated technologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R J L Timmis
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK.
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK.
| | - R W Paddock
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - I Ouatu
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - J Lee
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - S Howard
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - E Atonga
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R T Ruskov
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - H Martin
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R H W Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R Aboushelbaya
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | | | - E Gumbrell
- Plasma Physics Department, AWE, Aldermaston, RG7 4PR, UK
| | - P A Norreys
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Jiang Y, Chen ZY, Liu Z, Cao L, Zheng C, Xie R, Chao Y, He X. Direct generation of relativistic isolated attosecond pulses in transmission from laser-driven plasmas. OPTICS LETTERS 2021; 46:1285-1288. [PMID: 33720168 DOI: 10.1364/ol.418144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Isolated attosecond pulses are useful to perform pump-probe experiments at a high temporal resolution, and provide a new tool for ultrafast metrology. However, it is still a challenging task to generate such pulses of high intensity, even for a few-cycle laser. Through particle-in-cell simulations, we show that it is possible to directly generate a giant isolated attosecond pulse in the transmission direction from relativistic laser-driven plasmas. Compared to attosecond pulse generation in the reflection direction, no further spectral filtering is needed. The underlying radiation mechanism is coherent synchrotron emission, and the transmitted isolated attosecond pulse can reach relativistic intensity. This provides a promising alternative to generate intense isolated attosecond pulses for ultrafast studies.
Collapse
|