Laser-driven Plasma Accelerators Research Articles

Multi-pulse laser wakefield acceleration: a new route to efficient, high-repetition-rate plasma accelerators and high flux radiation sources

Laser-driven plasma accelerators can generate accelerating gradients three orders of magnitude larger than radio-frequency accelerators and have achieved beam energies above 1 GeV in centimetre long stages. However, the pulse repetition rate and wall-plug efficiency of laser plasma accelerators is limited by the driving laser to less than approximately 1 Hz and 0.1% respectively. Here we investigate the prospects for exciting the plasma wave with trains of low-energy laser pulses rather than a single high-energy pulse. Resonantly exciting the wakefield in this way would enable the use of different technologies, such as fibre or thin-disc lasers, which are able to operate at multi-kilohertz pulse repetition rates and with wall-plug efficiencies two orders of magnitude higher than current laser systems. We outline the parameters of efficient, GeV-scale, 10 kHz plasma accelerators and show that they could drive compact x-ray sources with average photon fluxes comparable to those of third-generation light source but with significantly improved temporal resolution. Likewise free-electron laser (FEL) operation could be driven with comparable peak power but with significantly larger repetition rates than extant FELs.

Developments in laser-driven plasma accelerators

Laser-driven plasma accelerators provide acceleration gradients three orders of magnitude greater than conventional machines, offering the potential to shrink the length of accelerators by the same factor. To date, laser-acceleration of electron beams to particle energies comparable to those offered by synchrotron light sources has been demonstrated with plasma acceleration stages only a few centimetres long. This article describes the principles of operation of laser-driven plasma accelerators, and reviews their development from their proposal in 1979 to recent demonstrations. The potential applications of plasma accelerators are described and the challenges which must be overcome before they can become a practical tool are discussed.

FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS EXPLORED WITH HIGH INTENSITY LASER

Over the last century the method of particle acceleration to high energies has become the prime approach to explore the fundamental nature of matter in laboratory. It appears that the latest search of the contemporary accelerator based on the colliders shows a sign of saturation (or at least a slow-down) in increasing its energy and other necessary parameters to extend this frontier. We suggest two pronged approach enabled by the recent progress in high intensity lasers. First we envision the laser-driven plasma accelerator may be able to extend the reach of the collider. For this approach to bear fruit, we need to develop the technology of high averaged power laser in addition to the high intensity. For this we mention that the latest research effort of ICAN is an encouraging sign. In addition to this, we now introduce the concept of the noncollider paradigm in exploring fundamental physics with high intensity (and large energy) lasers. One of the examples we mention is the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) far beyond TeV without large luminosity. If we relax or do not require the large luminosity necessary for colliders, but solely in ultrahigh energy frontier, we are still capable of exploring such a fundamental issue. Given such a high energetic particle source and high-intensity laser fields simultaneously, we expect to be able to access new aspects on the matter and the vacuum structure from fundamental physical point of views. LWFA naturally exploits the nonlinear optical effects in the plasma when it becomes of relativistic intensity. Normally nonlinear optical effects are discussed based upon polarization susceptibility of matter to external fields. We suggest application of this concept even to the vacuum structure as a new kind of order parameter to discuss vacuum-originating phenomena at semimacroscopic scales. This viewpoint unifies the following observables with the unprecedented experimental environment we envision; the dispersion relation of photons at extremely short wavelengths in vacuum (a test of the Lorentz invariance), the dispersion relation of the vacuum under high-intensity laser fields (nonperturbative QED and possibly QCD effects), and wave-mixing processes possibly caused by exchanges of low-mass and weakly coupling fields relevant to cosmology with the coherent nature of high-flux photons (search for light dark matter and dark energy). These observables based on polarization susceptibility of vacuum would add novel insights to phenomena discovered in cosmology and particle physics where order parameters such as curvature and particle masses are conventionally discussed. In other words the introduction of high intensity laser and its methodology enriches the approach of fundamental and particle physics in entirely new dimensions.

Self-injected petawatt laser-driven plasma electron acceleration in 1017 cm−3 plasma

AbstractWe report production of a self-injected, collimated (8 mrad divergence), 600 pC bunch of electrons with energies up to 350 MeV from a petawatt laser-driven plasma accelerator in a plasma of electron density ne = 1017 cm−3, an order of magnitude lower than previous self-injected laser-plasma accelerators. The energy of the focused drive laser pulse (150 J, 150 fs) was distributed over several hot spots. Simulations show that these hot spots remained independent over a 5 cm interaction length, and produced weakly nonlinear plasma wakes without bubble formation capable of accelerating pre-heated (~1 MeV) plasma electrons up to the observed energies. The required pre-heating is attributed tentatively to pre-pulse interactions with the plasma.

Numerical analysis of space charge effects in electron bunches at laser-driven plasma accelerators

Abstract Laser-driven Plasma Accelerators (LPA) have successfully generated high energy, high charge electron bunches which can reach many kA peak current, over short distances. Space charge issues, even in transport lines as simple as a drift section, have to be carefully taken into account since they can degrade the beam quality, preventing any further application of such electron beams. We analyse the space charge effects within an electron bunch with numerical simulations in order to assess their effect on the beam. We use LPA beam parameters published in previous experimental studies. These studies can give an indication of the working point where space charge can dominate the beam dynamics and has to be taken into account in the application of such beams.

Quasi-monoenergetic Electron Acceleration for All-optical Ultrashort X-ray Source

In laser-driven plasma acceleration, which is charged particle acceleration via the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a plasma, the accelerating electric field is a thousand times higher than that of conventional radio-frequency accelerators. Such high accelerating field enables a compact accelerator. Recently, the generation of quasi-monoenergetic electron beams has been demonstrated and the way toward a practical, compact electron accelerator is opened. Furthermore, the electron pulse duration is extremely short, of the order of femtosecond in laser-driven plasma acceleration. This set of unique characteristics opens the way toward a novel, compact, all-optical, ultrashort X-ray source based on such as laser Compton scattering scheme. The present status of the quasi-monoenergetic electron acceleration and prospect for all-optical ultrashort X-ray sources are reviewed.

Stable generation of GeV-class electron beams from self-guided laser–plasma channels

Table-top laser-driven plasma accelerators are gaining attention for their potential use in miniaturizing future high-energy accelerators. By irradiating gas jet targets with ultrashort intense laser pulses, the generation of quasimonoenergetic electron beams was recently observed. Currently, the stability of beam generation and the ability to scale to higher electron beam energies are critical issues for practical laser acceleration. Here, we demonstrate the first generation of stable GeV-class electron beams from stable few-millimetre-long plasma channels in a self-guided wakefield acceleration process. As primary evidence of the laser wakefield acceleration in a bubble regime, we observed a boost of both the electron beam energy and quality by reducing the plasma density and increasing the plasma length in a 1-cm-long gas jet. Subsequent three-dimensional simulations show the possibility of achieving even higher electron beam energies by minimizing plasma bubble elongation, and we anticipate dramatic increases in beam energy and quality in the near future. This will pave the way towards ultracompact, all-optical electron beam accelerators and their applications in science, technology and medicine.

GeV plasma accelerators driven in waveguides

During the last few years laser-driven plasma accelerators have been shown to generate quasi-monoenergetic electron beams with energies up to several hundred MeV. Extending the output energy of laser-driven plasma accelerators to the GeV range requires operation at plasma densities an order of magnitude lower, i.e. 1018 cm−3, and increasing the distance over which acceleration is maintained from a few millimetres to a few tens of millimetres. One approach for achieving this is to guide the driving laser pulse in the plasma channel formed in a gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide. We present transverse interferometric measurements of the evolution of the plasma channel formed and compare these measurements with models of the capillary discharge. We describe in detail experiments performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in which plasma accelerators were driven within this type of waveguide to generate quasi-monoenergetic electron beams with energies up to 1 GeV.

The development of laser- and beam-driven plasma accelerators as an experimental field

Since its inception in the early 1980s, the field of plasma-based particle accelerators has made remarkable advances. Robust plasma accelerating structures can now be excited over centimeter scales using short laser pulses and over meter scales using ultrarelativistic particle beams. Accelerating fields in excess of tens of GV/m can be sustained over these lengths. Laser-driven plasma accelerators now routinely produce monoenergetic, low divergence electron beams in the 100MeV–1GeV range, whereas electron-beam driven plasma accelerators have demonstrated the ability to double the energy of 42GeV electrons using a high-energy collider beam in less than one meter. The development of this field is traced through a series of path breaking experiments.

Transverse Interferometry of a Hydrogen-Filled Capillary Discharge Waveguide

Transverse interferometric measurements are presented of the plasma channel formed in a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide recently used to generate 1 GeV electrons in a laser-driven plasma accelerator for the first time. The measurements were found to be in good agreement with nonlocal thermal equilibrium simulations, but showed significant differences with the results of a quasistatic model developed by Bobrova et al. [Phys. Rev. E. 65, 016407 (2001)]. The measurements are used to determine scaling laws for the axial electron density and matched spot size of the plasma channel, enabling optimization of the channel to specific applications.

Experimental observation of monoenergetic electron beam generated by laser-driven plasma acceleration

Monoenergetic beams containing more than 10 6 electrons with the energy of 25 MeV are generated by the interaction of an intense Ti:sapphire laser pulse with high density plasmas. The electron energy and the number of electrons of the monoenergetic beams increase by using a long focus off-axis parabolic mirror. Single shot measurements of the electron energy spectrum and forward scattered light spectrum was performed.

All optical electron injector using an intense ultrashort pulse laser and a solid wire target

Energetic electron bunches were generated by irradiating a solid tungsten wire 13 μm wide with 50 femtosecond pulses at an intensity of ∼3×1018 W/cm2. The electron yield, energy spectrum and angular distribution were measured. These energetic electron bunches are suitable for injection into a laser driven plasma accelerator. An all-optical electron injector based on this approach could simplify timing and alignment in future laser-plasma accelerator experiments.

Laser guiding for GeV laser–plasma accelerators

Guiding of relativistically intense laser beams in preformed plasma channels is discussed for development of GeV-class laser accelerators. Experiments using a channel guided laser wakefield accelerator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have demonstrated that near mono-energetic 100 MeV-class electron beams can be produced with a 10 TW laser system. Analysis, aided by particle-in-cell simulations, as well as experiments with various plasma lengths and densities, indicate that tailoring the length of the accelerator, together with loading of the accelerating structure with beam, is the key to production of mono-energetic electron beams. Increasing the energy towards a GeV and beyond will require reducing the plasma density and design criteria are discussed for an optimized accelerator module. The current progress and future directions are summarized through comparison with conventional accelerators, highlighting the unique short-term prospects for intense radiation sources based on laser-driven plasma accelerators.

Inverse free electron lasers and laser wakefield acceleration driven by CO 2 lasers

The staged electron laser acceleration (STELLA) experiment demonstrated staging between two laser-driven devices, high trapping efficiency of microbunches within the accelerating field and narrow energy spread during laser acceleration. These are important for practical laser-driven accelerators. STELLA used inverse free electron lasers, which were chosen primarily for convenience. Nevertheless, the STELLA approach can be applied to other laser acceleration methods, in particular, laser-driven plasma accelerators. STELLA is now conducting experiments on laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA). Two novel LWFA approaches are being investigated. In the first one, called pseudo-resonant LWFA, a laser pulse enters a low-density plasma where nonlinear laser/plasma interactions cause the laser pulse shape to steepen, thereby creating strong wakefields. A witness e-beam pulse probes the wakefields. The second one, called seeded self-modulated LWFA, involves sending a seed e-beam pulse into the plasma to initiate wakefield formation. These wakefields are amplified by a laser pulse following shortly after the seed pulse. A second e-beam pulse (witness) follows the seed pulse to probe the wakefields. These LWFA experiments will also be the first ones driven by a CO(2) laser beam.

Demonstration of quasi-monoenergetic electron-beam generation in laser-driven plasma acceleration

The generation of a quasi-monoenergetic electron beam in laser-driven plasma acceleration is reported. A monoenergetic electron beam with an energy of 7 MeV was emitted from a high-density plasma (electron density >1020cm−3) produced by a 2 TW 50 fs laser pulse. The divergence of the monoenergetic beam was ±1.2°. The first Stokes satellite peak of stimulated forward Raman scattering was observed in the spectrum of the light transmitted through the plasma. The plasma wave was excited in the region of which electron density was around 1.3×1020cm−3. The acceleration length was estimated to be 500μm from the length of the side-scattered light image. It is considered that the monoenergetic beam generation is due to the matching of the acceleration length to the dephasing length determined by the velocity difference between the accelerated electrons and the plasma wave.

Monoenergetic electron beam generation in laser-driven plasma acceleration

Monoenergetic electron beam generation in laser-driven plasma acceleration

TOWARDS VERY HIGH ENERGY ACCELERATORS

The development of a new generation of colliders beyond the LHC is central to the future of high-energy physics. As was clearly pointed out by Lykken [1], the prospects for high-energy physics may be limited by our ability to build them. This paper describes possibilities for these colliders and some of the challenges we face in building them. None of the fundamental ideas that underly the advanced accelerator work reported herein are new; they have been suggested, and studied in various levels of detail, for the last two decades. What is new, and encouraging, are the technological advances, the level of understanding and detailed modeling, and the initial experimentation. These changes are affecting a wide variety of concepts. For example, W-band structures are being tested at SLAC, a large collaboration, numberingmore than 100 individuals, is working on a neutrino factory andmuon collider, and laser-driven plasma accelerators have matured to the point where numerous groups worldwide can accelerate nC of charge to MeV energies. Such progress may lead one to wonder why none of these options offers an unimpeded path to a high-energy collider. A simplified answer is that the desired luminosity (even extrapolating our ability to produce, accelerate, and focus high quality beams) demands high average power in the colliding beams. Overall system efficiency is thus vital. Preserving the beam quality needed for focusing to very small spot sizes requires that great care be paid to critical engineering issues such as the fabrication of structures, focusing fields, and jitter. Accommodating these numerous and severe constraints requires a mature technology. Many of the beam interactions with plasma are complicated and relevant experimental studies are in an early stage. The expression for the luminosity illustrates the previous comments, and also makes clear the different approaches that the e+e− and μ+μ− colliders take. We can write the luminosity

Electromagnetically induced guiding of counterpropagating lasers in plasmas

The interaction of counterpropagating laser pulses in a plasma is considered. When the frequencies of the two lasers are close, nonlinear modification of the refraction index results in the mutual focusing of the two beams. A short (of order of the plasma period) laser pulse can also be nonlinearly focused by a long counterpropagating beam which extends over the entire guiding length. This phenomenon of electromagnetically induced guiding can be utilized in laser-driven plasma accelerators. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

Nonlinear theory of intense laser-plasma interactions.

A nonlinear theory of intense laser-plasma interactions is developed and used to describe relativistic optical guiding, coherent harmonic radiation production, and nonlinear plasma wakefield generation. Relativistic optical guiding is found to be ineffective in preventing the leading portion (\ensuremath{\le} a plasma wavelength) of a laser pulse from diffracting. Coherent harmonic generation is found to be most efficient for short laser pulses. Optical guiding and harmonic generation may be enhanced by the presence of large amplitude plasma wakefields. These phenomena may be important in laser-driven plasma accelerators, x-ray sources, and fusion schemes.