Beat Wave Accelerator Research Articles

Control of autoresonant plasma beat-wave wakefield excitation

Autoresonant phase locking of the plasma wakefield to the beat frequency of two driving lasers offers advantages over conventional wakefield acceleration methods, since it requires less demanding laser parameters and is robust to variations in the target plasma density. Here, we investigate the kinetic and nonlinear processes that come into play during autoresonant plasma beat-wave acceleration of electrons, their impact on the field amplitude of the accelerating structure, and on acceleration efficiency. Particle-in-cell simulations show that the process depends on the plasma density in a nontrivial way but can be reliably modeled under specific conditions. Beside recovering previous fluid results in the deeply underdense plasma limit, we demonstrate that robust field excitation can be achieved within a fully kinetic self-consistent modeling. By adjusting the laser properties, we can amplify the electric field to the desired level, up to wave breaking, and efficiently accelerate particles; we provide suggestions for optimized laser and plasma parameters. This versatile and efficient acceleration scheme, producing electrons from tens to hundreds of MeV energies, holds promise for a wide range of applications in research industry and medicine. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Multi-GeV wakefield acceleration in a plasma-modulated plasma accelerator.

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 equationand 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.

Particle acceleration by twisted laser beams

We consider particle acceleration in plasmas, using twisted laser beams, or beams with orbital angular momentum. We discuss different acceleration processes using two LG laser modes, which include donut wakefield, beat-wave and self-torque acceleration, and compare the respective properties. We show that a self-torque configuration is able to produce azimuthal acceleration and can therefore be considered as an alternative method to produce helical electron beams.

Laser Beat-Wave Acceleration near Critical Density

We consider high-density laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) in the nonrelativistic regime of the laser. In place of an ultrashort laser pulse, we can excite wakefields via the Laser Beat Wave (BW) that accesses this near-critical density regime. Here, we use 1D Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations to study BW acceleration using two co-propagating lasers in a near-critical density material. We show that BW acceleration near the critical density allows for acceleration of electrons to greater than keV energies at far smaller intensities, such as 1014 W/cm2, through the low phase velocity dynamics of wakefields that are excited in this scheme. Near-critical density laser BW acceleration has many potential applications including high-dose radiation therapy.

Comparison of Linear and Quadratic Chirp in Beat Wave Acceleration in Vacuum

Electron acceleration due to beating of two slightly different frequency LP (Linearly polarised) laser pulses with finite spot size in a vacuum has been studied. In this scheme, two lasers are incident at a point with some angle, due to beating of LP lasers constructive interference occurs. The resultant electric and magnetic field of this constructive interference helps in acceleration of pre-accelerated electron which is injected and trapped by the field. In this paper, we have seen the effect of linear and quadratic chirp on laser beat wave acceleration in vacuum and a comparison between the two is made for effective energy gain.

Excitation of plasma wave by lasers beating in a collisional and mild-relativistic plasma

Excitation of plasma wave by two lasers beating in a collisional dominated relativistic plasma is investigated. We study the energy exchange between a plasma wave and two co-propagating lasers in plasma including the effect of relativistic mass change and electron-ion collisions. Two lasers, having frequency difference equal to the plasma frequency, excite a plasma beat wave resonantly by the ponderomotive force, which obeys the energy and momentum conservation. The relativistic effect and the electron-ion collision both contribute in energy exchange between the interacting waves in the beat-wave acceleration mechanism. Our study shows that the initial phase difference between interacting waves generates a phase mismatch between lasers and plasma wave, which alters the rate of amplitude variations of the interacting waves and, hence, affects the energy exchange between the interacting waves. This study may be crucial to design a compact plasma accelerator in low-intensity regime.

Two-color ionization injection using a plasma beatwave accelerator

Two-color laser ionization injection is a method to generate ultra-low emittance (sub-100 nm transverse normalized emittance) beams in a laser-driven plasma accelerator. A plasma beatwave accelerator is proposed to drive the plasma wave for ionization injection, where the beating of the lasers effectively produces a train of long-wavelength pulses. The plasma beatwave accelerator excites a large amplitude plasma wave with low peak laser electric fields, leaving atomically-bound electrons with low ionization potential. A short-wavelength, low-amplitude ionization injection laser pulse (with a small ponderomotive force and large peak electric field) is used to ionize the remaining bound electrons at a wake phase suitable for trapping, generating an ultra-low emittance electron beam that is accelerated in the plasma wave. Using a plasma beatwave accelerator for wakefield excitation, compared to short-pulse wakefield excitation, allows for a lower amplitude injection laser pulse and, hence, a lower emittance beam may be generated.

Electron Acceleration by Beating of Two Intense Cross-Focused Hollow Gaussian Laser Beams in Plasma**Supported by United Arab Emirates University for Financial under Grant No. UPAR (2014)-31S164

This paper presents propagation of two cross-focused intense hollow Gaussian laser beams (HGBs) in collisionless plasma and its effect on the generation of electron plasma wave (EPW) and electron acceleration process, when relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities are simultaneously operative. Nonlinear differential equations have been set up for beamwidth of laser beams, power of generated EPW, and energy gain by electrons using WKB and paraxial approximations. Numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate the effect of typical laser-plasma parameters on the focusing of laser beams in plasmas and further its effect on power of excited EPW and acceleration of electrons. It is observed that focusing of two laser beams in plasma increases for higher order of hollow Gaussian beams, which significantly enhanced the power of generated EPW and energy gain. The amplitude of EPW and energy gain by electrons is found to enhance with an increase in the intensity of laser beams and plasma density. This study will be useful to plasma beat wave accelerator and in other applications requiring multiple laser beams.

Stimulated Raman scattering of beat wave of two counter-propagating X-mode lasers in a magnetized plasma

Effects of transverse static magnetic field on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) of the beat wave excited by two counter-propagating lasers are studied. Two counter-propagating lasers with frequency difference, ω1∼ω2≥2ωp, drive a non resonant space charge beat mode at wave number k→0≈k→1+k→2 in a plasma, where k→1 and k→2 are wave vectors of lasers having frequencies ω1 and ω2, respectively. The driven beat wave acts as a pump for SRS and excites parametrically a pair of plasma wave (ω,k→) and side band electromagnetic wave (ω3,k→3) propagating in the sideward direction in such a way that momentum remains conserved. The growth rate of Raman process is maximum for side scattering at θs=π/2 for lower values of applied magnetic field (∼1 kG), which can be three fold by applying magnetic field ∼5.0 kG. Thus, optimum value of magnetic field can be utilized to achieve maximum electron acceleration in counter propagating geometry of beat wave acceleration by reducing the growth rate of Raman process.

Plasma-Based Accelerator with Magnetic Compression

Electron dephasing is a major gain-inhibiting effect in plasma-based accelerators. A novel method is proposed to overcome dephasing, in which the modulation of a modest [~O(10 kG)], axial, uniform magnetic field in the acceleration channel leads to densification of the plasma through magnetic compression, enabling direct, time-resolved control of the plasma wave properties. The methodology is broadly applicable and can be optimized to improve the leading acceleration approaches, including plasma beat wave, plasma wakefield, and laser wakefield acceleration. The advantages of magnetic compression are compared to other proposed techniques to overcome dephasing.

Physics of laser-driven plasma-based electron accelerators

Laser-driven plasma-based accelerators, which are capable of supporting fields in excess of 100 GV/m, are reviewed. This includes the laser wakefield accelerator, the plasma beat wave accelerator, the self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator, plasma waves driven by multiple laser pulses, and highly nonlinear regimes. The properties of linear and nonlinear plasma waves are discussed, as well as electron acceleration in plasma waves. Methods for injecting and trapping plasma electrons in plasma waves are also discussed. Limits to the electron energy gain are summarized, including laser pulse diffraction, electron dephasing, laser pulse energy depletion, and beam loading limitations. The basic physics of laser pulse evolution in underdense plasmas is also reviewed. This includes the propagation, self-focusing, and guiding of laser pulses in uniform plasmas and with preformed density channels. Instabilities relevant to intense short-pulse laser-plasma interactions, such as Raman, self-modulation, and hose instabilities, are discussed. Experiments demonstrating key physics, such as the production of high-quality electron bunches at energies of 0.1-1 GeV, are summarized.

Effect of an axial magnetic field and ion space charge on laser beat wave acceleration and surfatron acceleration of electrons

AbstractThe presence of an axial magnetic field in a laser beat wave accelerator enhances the oscillatory velocity of electrons due to cyclotron resonance effect leading to higher amplitude of the ponderomotive force driven plasma wave, and higher energy of accelerating electrons. The axial magnetic field inhibits the transverse escape of electrons and thus causes a growth of the interaction length. The surfatron acceleration of electrons also shows a similar enhancement. A surfatron transverse magnetic field deflects the electrons parallel to the phase fronts of the accelerating wave keeping them in phase with it. However, the electron continues to move away radially.

All-optical control of nonlinear focusing of laser beams in plasma beat wave accelerator

Nonlinear focusing of a bi-color laser in plasma can be controlled by varying the difference frequency Ω. The driven electron density perturbation forms a co-moving periodic focusing (de-focusing) channel if Ω is below (above) the electron Langmuir frequency ωp. Hence, the beam focusing is enhanced for Ω < ωp and is suppressed otherwise. In particular, a catastrophic relativistic self-focusing of a high-power laser beam can be prevented all-optically by a second, much weaker, co-propagating beam shifted in frequency by Ω > ωp. A bi-envelope equation describing the early stage of the mutual de-focusing is derived and analyzed. Later stages, characterized by a well-developed electromagnetic cascade, are investigated numerically. Stable propagation of the over-critical laser pulse over several Rayleigh lengths is predicted. The non-resonant plasma beat wave (Ω ≠ ωp) can accelerate pre-injected electrons above 100 MeV with low energy spread.

A condition for simultaneous propagation of coaxial Gaussian electromagnetic beams in a plasma, without convergence or divergence

AbstractFor coaxial Gaussian electromagnetic beams of equal width, a relation between the weighted sum of axial irradiances and the width of the beams, which corresponds to the propagation in a plasma, without convergence or divergence has been obtained in the paraxial approximation. The collisional (with and without thermal conduction), ponderomotive and relativistic nonlinearities have been separately considered in this investigation. The investigation has relevance to the study and application of multi-wave interaction phenomena such as the growth of combination frequencies, plasma beat wave acceleration and enhanced penetration in an overdense plasma.

Relativistic dynamical bistability and adiabatic excitation of strong plasma waves

Adiabatic evolution of the nonlinear resonantly driven dynamical system generic to a variety of plasma physics problems, including generation of large-amplitude plasma waves in a plasma beat-wave accelerator, is studied. The properties of the resonant Hamiltonian and the dynamics of its phase space for adiabatically varying parameters are considered. It is shown that the system can exhibit bistability and the Hamiltonian of a bistable system always follows the same trajectory for the adiabatically varying driver regardless of whether the system is excited or left quiescent. Descriptions of the bistability, autoresonance, and their possible combination based on the properties of the resonant Hamiltonian are given.

Vlasov models for the study of stimulated Raman scattering and beatwave acceleration scenario

Relativistic Vlasov–Maxwell model was developed to address the particle trapping or particle acceleration in phase space, including situation relevant to Stimulated Raman Scattering and plasma beatwave acceleration. In particular the case of realistically high ratio of driver frequency to plasma wave frequency ( ω 0 / ω p ∼ 30 ) was also considered using a hybrid version called Vlasov–Hilbert model. Some of the more striking features that have emerged from the Vlasov simulations are discussed in this paper, with particular emphasis on time-dependent matching relations in frequency and wavevector allowing the maintenance of the parametric resonance over a long time, particle dynamics in phase space and action transfer results obtained from the derivation of the integrated Manley–Rowe relations derived for a finite causal system.

Influence of electromagnetic oscillating two-stream instability on the evolution of laser-driven plasma beat-wave

The electrostatic oscillating two-stream instability of laser-driven plasma beat-wave was studied recently by Gupta et al. [Phys. Plasmas 11, 5250 (2004)], who applied their theory to limit the amplitude level of a plasma wave in the beat-wave accelerator. As a self-generated magnetic field is observed in laser-produced plasma, hence, the electromagnetic oscillating two-stream instability may be another possible mechanism for the saturation of laser-driven plasma beat-wave. The efficiency of this scheme is higher than the former.

Basic concepts in plasma accelerators

In this article, we present the underlying physics and the present status of high gradient and high-energy plasma accelerators. With the development of compact short pulse high-brightness lasers and electron and positron beams, new areas of studies for laser/particle beam-matter interactions is opening up. A number of methods are being pursued vigorously to achieve ultra-high-acceleration gradients. These include the plasma beat wave accelerator (PBWA) mechanism which uses conventional long pulse ( approximately 100 ps) modest intensity lasers (I approximately 10(14)-10(16) W cm(-2)), the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) which uses the new breed of compact high-brightness lasers (<1 ps) and intensities >10(18) W cm(-2), self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator (SMLWFA) concept which combines elements of stimulated Raman forward scattering (SRFS) and electron acceleration by nonlinear plasma waves excited by relativistic electron and positron bunches the plasma wakefield accelerator. In the ultra-high intensity regime, laser/particle beam-plasma interactions are highly nonlinear and relativistic, leading to new phenomenon such as the plasma wakefield excitation for particle acceleration, relativistic self-focusing and guiding of laser beams, high-harmonic generation, acceleration of electrons, positrons, protons and photons. Fields greater than 1 GV cm(-1) have been generated with monoenergetic particle beams accelerated to about 100 MeV in millimetre distances recorded. Plasma wakefields driven by both electron and positron beams at the Stanford linear accelerator centre (SLAC) facility have accelerated the tail of the beams.

Robust autoresonant excitation in the plasma beat-wave accelerator.

A modified version of the plasma beat-wave accelerator scheme is proposed, based on autoresonant phase locking of the Langmuir wave to the slowly chirped beat frequency of the driving lasers by passage through resonance. Peak electric fields above standard detuning limits seem readily attainable, and the plasma wave excitation is robust to large variations in plasma density or chirp rate. This scheme might be implemented in existing chirped pulse amplification or CO2 laser systems.

Experiments on laser driven beatwave acceleration in a ponderomotively formed plasma channel

A 10 ps long beam of 12 MeV electrons is externally injected into a ∼3-cm long plasma beatwave excited in a laser ionized hydrogen gas. The electrons have been accelerated to 50 MeV with a gradient of ∼1.3 GeV/m. It is shown that when the effective plasma wave amplitude-length product is limited by ionization-induced defocusing (IID), acceleration of electrons is significantly enhanced by using a laser pulse with a duration longer than the time required for ions to move across the laser spot size. Both experiments and two-dimensional simulations reveal that, in this case, self-guiding of the laser pulse in a ponderomotively formed plasma channel occurs. This compensates for IID and drives the beatwave over the longer length compared to when such a channel is not present.