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van de Wetering JJ, Hooker SM, Walczak R. Multi-GeV wakefield acceleration in a plasma-modulated plasma accelerator. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:025206. [PMID: 38491682 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.025206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
We investigate the accelerator stage of a plasma-modulated plasma accelerator (P-MoPA) [Jakobsson et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 184801 (2021)0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.127.184801] using both the paraxial wave equation and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. We show that adjusting the laser and plasma parameters of the modulator stage of a P-MoPA allows the temporal profile of pulses within the pulse train to be controlled, which in turn allows the wake amplitude in the accelerator stage to be as much as 72% larger than that generated by a plasma beat-wave accelerator with the same total drive laser energy. Our analysis shows that Rosenbluth-Liu detuning is unimportant in a P-MoPA if the number of pulses in the train is less than ∼30, and that this detuning is also partially counteracted by increased red-shifting, and hence increased pulse spacing, towards the back of the train. An analysis of transverse mode oscillations of the driving pulse train is found to be in good agreement with 2D (Cartesian) PIC simulations. PIC simulations demonstrating energy gains of ∼1.5GeV (∼2.5GeV) for drive pulse energies of 2.4J (5.0J) are presented. Our results suggest that P-MoPAs driven by few-joule, picosecond pulses, such as those provided by high-repetition-rate thin-disk lasers, could accelerate electron bunches to multi-GeV energies at pulse repetition rates in the kilohertz range.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J van de Wetering
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - S M Hooker
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - R Walczak
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
- Somerville College, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HD, United Kingdom
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2
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Kwapis EH, Borrero J, Latty KS, Andrews HB, Phongikaroon SS, Hartig KC. Laser Ablation Plasmas and Spectroscopy for Nuclear Applications. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 78:9-55. [PMID: 38116788 DOI: 10.1177/00037028231211559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The development of measurement methodologies to detect and monitor nuclear-relevant materials remains a consistent and significant interest across the nuclear energy, nonproliferation, safeguards, and forensics communities. Optical spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas is becoming an increasingly popular diagnostic technique to measure radiological and nuclear materials in the field without sample preparation, where current capabilities encompass the standoff, isotopically resolved and phase-identifiable (e.g., UO and UO2 ) detection of elements across the periodic table. These methods rely on the process of laser ablation (LA), where a high-powered pulsed laser is used to excite a sample (solid, liquid, or gas) into a luminous microplasma that rapidly undergoes de-excitation through the emission of electromagnetic radiation, which serves as a spectroscopic fingerprint for that sample. This review focuses on LA plasmas and spectroscopy for nuclear applications, covering topics from the wide-area environmental sampling and atmospheric sensing of radionuclides to recent implementations of multivariate machine learning methods that work to enable the real-time analysis of spectrochemical measurements with an emphasis on fundamental research and development activities over the past two decades. Background on the physical breakdown mechanisms and interactions of matter with nanosecond and ultrafast laser pulses that lead to the generation of laser-produced microplasmas is provided, followed by a description of the transient spatiotemporal plasma conditions that control the behavior of spectroscopic signatures recorded by analytical methods in atomic and molecular spectroscopy. High-temperature chemical and thermodynamic processes governing reactive LA plasmas are also examined alongside investigations into the condensation pathways of the plasma, which are believed to serve as chemical surrogates for fallout particles formed in nuclear fireballs. Laser-supported absorption waves and laser-induced shockwaves that accompany LA plasmas are also discussed, which could provide insights into atmospheric ionization phenomena from strong shocks following nuclear detonations. Furthermore, the standoff detection of trace radioactive aerosols and fission gases is reviewed in the context of monitoring atmospheric radiation plumes and off-gas streams of molten salt reactors. Finally, concluding remarks will present future outlooks on the role of LA plasma spectroscopy in the nuclear community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily H Kwapis
- Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Justin Borrero
- Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Kyle S Latty
- Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Hunter B Andrews
- Radioisotope Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Kyle C Hartig
- Nuclear Engineering Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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3
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Picksley A, Chappell J, Archer E, Bourgeois N, Cowley J, Emerson DR, Feder L, Gu XJ, Jakobsson O, Ross AJ, Wang W, Walczak R, Hooker SM. All-Optical GeV Electron Bunch Generation in a Laser-Plasma Accelerator via Truncated-Channel Injection. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:245001. [PMID: 38181162 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.245001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
We describe a simple scheme, truncated-channel injection, to inject electrons directly into the wakefield driven by a high-intensity laser pulse guided in an all-optical plasma channel. We use this approach to generate dark-current-free 1.2 GeV, 4.5% relative energy spread electron bunches with 120 TW laser pulses guided in a 110 mm-long hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized plasma channel. Our experiments and particle-in-cell simulations show that high-quality electron bunches were only obtained when the drive pulse was closely aligned with the channel axis, and was focused close to the density down ramp formed at the channel entrance. Start-to-end simulations of the channel formation, and electron injection and acceleration show that increasing the channel length to 410 mm would yield 3.65 GeV bunches, with a slice energy spread ∼5×10^{-4}.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Picksley
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - J Chappell
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - E Archer
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - N Bourgeois
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - J Cowley
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - D R Emerson
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
| | - L Feder
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - X J Gu
- Scientific Computing Department, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, United Kingdom
| | - O Jakobsson
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - A J Ross
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - W Wang
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - R Walczak
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
- Somerville College, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HD, United Kingdom
| | - S M Hooker
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
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4
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van de Wetering JJ, Hooker SM, Walczak R. Stability of the modulator in a plasma-modulated plasma accelerator. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:015204. [PMID: 37583169 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.015204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
We explore the regime of operation of the modulator stage of a recently proposed laser-plasma accelerator scheme [Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 184801 (2021)0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.127.184801], dubbed the plasma-modulated plasma accelerator (P-MoPA). The P-MoPA scheme offers a potential route to high-repetition-rate, GeV-scale plasma accelerators driven by picosecond-duration laser pulses from, for example, kilohertz thin-disk lasers. The first stage of the P-MoPA scheme is a plasma modulator in which a long, high-energy "drive" pulse is spectrally modulated by copropagating in a plasma channel with the low-amplitude plasma wave driven by a short, low-energy "seed" pulse. The spectrally modulated drive pulse is converted to a train of short pulses, by introducing dispersion, which can resonantly drive a large wakefield in a subsequent accelerator stage with the same on-axis plasma density as the modulator. In this paper we derive the 3D analytic theory for the evolution of the drive pulse in the plasma modulator and show that the spectral modulation is independent of transverse coordinate, which is ideal for compression into a pulse train. We then identify a transverse mode instability (TMI), similar to the TMI observed in optical fiber lasers, which sets limits on the energy of the drive pulse for a given set of laser-plasma parameters. We compare this analytic theory with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and find that even higher energy drive pulses can be modulated than those demonstrated in the original proposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J van de Wetering
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - S M Hooker
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - R Walczak
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
- Somerville College, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HD, United Kingdom
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5
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Moon Jeong T, Bulanov SV, Sasorov P, Hadjisolomou P. Propagation of intense electromagnetic pulse with a small conical phase shift induced by Axicon optics. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:21614-21625. [PMID: 37381255 DOI: 10.1364/oe.484968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
The conical phase shift induced by the axicon generates a non-diffracting Bessel beam. In this paper, we examine the propagation property of an electromagnetic wave focused by a thin lens and axicon waveplate combination, which induces a small amount of conical phase shift less than one wavelength. A general expression describing the focused field distribution has been derived under the paraxial approximation. The conical phase shift breaks the axial symmetry of intensity and shows a focal spot-shaping capability by controlling the central intensity profile within a certain range near focus. The focal spot-shaping capability can be applied to form a concave or flattened intensity profile, which can be used to control the concavity of a double-sided relativistic flying mirror or to generate the spatially uniform and energetic laser-driven proton/ion beams for hadron therapy.
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6
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Seemann O, Wan Y, Tata S, Kroupp E, Malka V. Refractive plasma optics for relativistic laser beams. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3296. [PMID: 37280229 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38937-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The high intensities reached today by powerful lasers enable us to explore the interaction with matter in the relativistic regime, unveiling a fertile domain of modern science that is pushing far away the frontiers of plasma physics. In this context, refractive-plasma optics are being utilized in well established wave guiding schemes in laser plasma accelerators. However, their use for spatial phase control of the laser beam has never been successfully implemented, partly due to the complication in manufacturing such optics. We here demonstrate this concept which enables phase manipulation near the focus position, where the intensity is already relativistic. Offering such flexible control, high-intensity high-density interaction is becoming accessible, allowing for example, to produce multiple energetic electron beams with high pointing stability and reproducibility. Cancelling the refractive effect with adaptive mirrors at the far field confirms this concept and furthermore improves the coupling of the laser to the plasma in comparison to the null test case, with potential benefits in dense-target applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omri Seemann
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Herzl 234, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
| | - Yang Wan
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Herzl 234, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
| | - Sheroy Tata
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Herzl 234, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Eyal Kroupp
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Herzl 234, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Victor Malka
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Herzl 234, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
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7
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Laser–Plasma Wake Velocity Control by Multi-Mode Beatwave Excitation in a Channel. PLASMA 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/plasma6010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The phase velocity of a laser-driven wakefield can be efficiently controlled in a plasma channel. A beatwave of two long laser pulses is used. The frequency difference between these two laser pulses equals the local plasma frequency, so that the slow resonant excitation of the plasma wave is possible. Because the driver energy is spread over many plasma periods, the interference pattern can run with an arbitrary velocity along the channel and generate the wakefield with the same phase velocity. This velocity is defined by the channel radius and the structure of laser transverse modes excited in the channel. The wake velocity can be matched exactly to the witness velocity. This can be the vacuum speed of light for ultra-relativistic witnesses, or subluminal velocities for low-energy, weakly relativistic witnesses such as muons.
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8
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Döpp A. Plasma optics improving plasma accelerators. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2022; 11:239. [PMID: 35906214 PMCID: PMC9338024 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-022-00925-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plasma accelerators driven by high-power lasers can provide high-energy electron beams on a dramatically smaller scale than conventional radio-frequency accelerators. However, the performance of these accelerators is fundamentally limited by the diffraction of the laser. Laser-generated plasma waveguides can mitigate this problem and, combined with a controlled injection method for electrons, highlight the potential of novel laser-plasma optics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Döpp
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Garching, Germany.
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9
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Oubrerie K, Leblanc A, Kononenko O, Lahaye R, Andriyash IA, Gautier J, Goddet JP, Martelli L, Tafzi A, Ta Phuoc K, Smartsev S, Thaury C. Controlled acceleration of GeV electron beams in an all-optical plasma waveguide. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2022; 11:180. [PMID: 35701390 PMCID: PMC9198076 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-022-00862-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs) produce electric fields of the order of 100 GV m-1, more than 1000 times larger than those produced by radio-frequency accelerators. These uniquely strong fields make LPAs a promising path to generate electron beams beyond the TeV, an important goal in high-energy physics. Yet, large electric fields are of little benefit if they are not maintained over a long distance. It is therefore of the utmost importance to guide the ultra-intense laser pulse that drives the accelerator. Reaching very high energies is equally useless if the properties of the electron beam change completely from shot to shot, due to the intrinsic lack of stability of the injection process. State-of-the-art laser-plasma accelerators can already address guiding and control challenges separately by tweaking the plasma structures. However, the production of beams that are simultaneously high quality and high energy has yet to be demonstrated. This paper presents a novel experiment, coupling laser-plasma waveguides and controlled injection techniques, facilitating the reliable and efficient acceleration of high-quality electron beams up to 1.1 GeV, from a 50 TW-class laser.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosta Oubrerie
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Adrien Leblanc
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Olena Kononenko
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Ronan Lahaye
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Igor A Andriyash
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Julien Gautier
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Goddet
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Lorenzo Martelli
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Amar Tafzi
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Kim Ta Phuoc
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
| | - Slava Smartsev
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Cédric Thaury
- LOA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 181 Chemin de la Hunière et des Joncherettes, 91120, Palaiseau, France.
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10
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Fazeli R. Observation of transverse injection and enhanced beam quality in laser wakefield acceleration of isolated electron bunches using an optimized plasma waveguide. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:065210. [PMID: 35854587 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.065210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The laser wakefield acceleration of monoenergetic multi-GeV electron beams in the bubble regime is investigated via particle-in-cell simulations considering laser guiding of sub-petawatt pulses by an optimized plasma waveguide. The density profile of the plasma has a transverse transition from a low value for the laser guiding central channel to an optimal higher value for the surrounding plasma. Multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations in the nonlinear bubble regime show that when the spot size of the Gaussian laser pulse is matched to the diameter of the low-density laser-guiding plasma channel, electron self-injection can be transversely provided from the surrounding high-density plasma mitigating the need for a minimum electron density of the low-density channel to trigger the self-injection. Accordingly, the pump depletion and electron dephasing lengths can be increased by reducing the electron density of the axial channel, and the electron bunch can be accelerated to considerably longer distances. As a result, the energy gain of the trapped electrons, injected from the surrounding high-density region, can be efficiently enhanced. Under such conditions, a completely localized electron bunch with considerably decreased energy spread (<2%) and enhanced peak energy (∼2.5GeV) is accelerated over a length of ∼6mm by a sub-petawatt laser pulse (∼86TW).
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Fazeli
- Faculty of Science, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan 4416939515, Iran
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11
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Miao B, Feder L, Shrock JE, Milchberg HM. Phase front retrieval and correction of Bessel beams. OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 30:11360-11371. [PMID: 35473082 DOI: 10.1364/oe.454796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bessel beams generated with non-ideal axicons are affected by aberrations. We introduce a method to retrieve the complex amplitude of a Bessel beam from intensity measurements alone, and then use this information to correct the wavefront and intensity profile using a deformable mirror.
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12
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Jakobsson O, Hooker SM, Walczak R. Gev-Scale Accelerators Driven by Plasma-Modulated Pulses from Kilohertz Lasers. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 127:184801. [PMID: 34767393 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.127.184801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We describe a new approach for driving GeV-scale plasma accelerators with long laser pulses. We show that the temporal phase of a long, high-energy driving laser pulse can be modulated periodically by copropagating it with a low-amplitude plasma wave driven by a short, low-energy seed pulse. Compression of the modulated driver by a dispersive optic generates a train of short pulses suitable for resonantly driving a plasma accelerator. Modulation of the driver occurs via well-controlled linear processes, as confirmed by good agreement between particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and an analytic model. PIC simulations demonstrate that a 1.7 J, 1 ps driver, and a 140 mJ, 40 fs seed pulse can accelerate electrons to energies of 0.65 GeV in a plasma channel with an axial density of 2.5×10^{17} cm^{-3}. This work opens a route to high repetition-rate, GeV-scale plasma accelerators driven by thin-disk lasers, which can provide joule-scale, picosecond-duration laser pulses at multikilohertz repetition rates and high wall-plug efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Jakobsson
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - S M Hooker
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - R Walczak
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
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13
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Abstract
Laser wakefield electron acceleration (LWFA) is an emerging technology for the next generation of electron accelerators. As intense laser technology has rapidly developed, LWFA has overcome its limitations and has proven its possibilities to facilitate compact high-energy electron beams. Since high-power lasers reach peak power beyond petawatts (PW), LWFA has a new chance to explore the multi-GeV energy regime. In this article, we review the recent development of multi-GeV electron acceleration with PW lasers and discuss the limitations and perspectives of the LWFA with high-power lasers.
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14
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Picksley A, Alejo A, Shalloo RJ, Arran C, von Boetticher A, Corner L, Holloway JA, Jonnerby J, Jakobsson O, Thornton C, Walczak R, Hooker SM. Meter-scale conditioned hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized plasma channels. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:053201. [PMID: 33327141 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.053201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate through experiments and numerical simulations that low-density, low-loss, meter-scale plasma channels can be generated by employing a conditioning laser pulse to ionize the neutral gas collar surrounding a hydrodynamic optical-field-ionized (HOFI) plasma channel. We use particle-in-cell simulations to show that the leading edge of the conditioning pulse ionizes the neutral gas collar to generate a deep, low-loss plasma channel which guides the bulk of the conditioning pulse itself as well as any subsequently injected pulses. In proof-of-principle experiments, we generate conditioned HOFI (CHOFI) waveguides with axial electron densities of n_{e0}≈1×10^{17}cm^{-3} and a matched spot size of 26μm. The power attenuation length of these CHOFI channels was calculated to be L_{att}=(21±3)m, more than two orders of magnitude longer than achieved by HOFI channels. Hydrodynamic and particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that meter-scale CHOFI waveguides with attenuation lengths exceeding 1 m could be generated with a total laser pulse energy of only 1.2 J per meter of channel. The properties of CHOFI channels are ideally suited to many applications in high-intensity light-matter interactions, including multi-GeV plasma accelerator stages operating at high pulse repetition rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Picksley
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - A Alejo
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - R J Shalloo
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - C Arran
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - A von Boetticher
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - L Corner
- Cockcroft Institute for Accelerator Science and Technology, School of Engineering, The Quadrangle, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L69 3GH, United Kingdom
| | - J A Holloway
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - J Jonnerby
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - O Jakobsson
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - C Thornton
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - R Walczak
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
| | - S M Hooker
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science and Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, United Kingdom
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