Ultrashort Laser Pulses Research Articles

Laser-Induced Printing of Next Generation Silicon-Graphite Anodes for the Development of Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries

The expansion of renewable causing a rising demand for affordable and improved energy storage systems. Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are one of the most promising technologies for this achievement, with further improvements to be made in terms of new materials and an advanced electrode architecture. As a new generation electrode material to be included in LIB, silicon is in the focus of the today’s investigations. Silicon offers one order of magnitude higher theoretical specific capacity (3579 mAh/g) compared to the state-of-the-art material graphite (372 mAh/g). However, during lithiation of silicon a volume expansion of up to 300 % takes place. Due to the huge volume expansion tremendous mechanical degradation of the anode occurs, resulting in a drop in capacity and a shorten lifetime.Laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) is applied in this study as printing technology to develop enhanced silicon-graphite electrode compositions and electrode architectures. LIFT was performed using a pulsed nanosecond UV-laser with a maximum power of 10 W and repetitions rate of up to 30 kHz. For the LIFT process of anodes, polyacrylic acid (PAA) is used as binder, in contrast to the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder commonly used for LIFT assisted printing of electrodes. PAA is a more appropriate binder for silicon-containing anodes than PVDF. In addition, also a customized architecture using subtractive and additive laser process techniques is introduced for an increase in lifetime of batteries containing silicon-based electrodes. For this purpose, graphite electrodes were structured with an ultrashort pulse laser with pattern widths of 100 µm. Subsequently, silicon rich slurry was printed into the patterns to increase the areal capacity. The as-prepared electrodes have spatially separated graphite and silicon regions. The respective electrodes were electrochemically cycled in half-cells and charged at different C-rates up to 5C to investigate their lithiation capability. After the rate capability analysis, the cells were cycled at C/2 to investigate the long-term degradation. The cells with the printed electrodes were cycled for more than 450 cycles with a capacity fade of 5 %. At their end-of-life, the cells were analyzed post-mortem. Finally, full-cells were assembled with cathodes containing NMC 622 as the active cathode material. Subsequently to the cell priming a lifetime analysis was performed at a C-rate of C/2 and cycle stability as well as lithium loss during cycling were evaluated.

(Invited) Wafer Singulation - Laser Processing Combined: From Past to Future Hybrid Bonding

Wafer singulation in the semiconductor industry has transformed from single step, straight forward diamond blade cutting of the product wafer into a process flow which may involve several different steps in different orders [1]. Nowadays, lasers play a central role in these schemes, involving ablation-based dicing or grooving, cold-ablation regimes and sub-surface material modification methods.Over the years, laser singulation and grooving has proven to provide solutions for different substrate materials and front- or backside layers [2]. Obviously, central topics for a production environment are the reliability and cost. Initial limitations on the application of the technique, such as a lowered material die strength, a large heat affect zone (HAZ) alongside the kerf, sidewall contamination and high burr along the surface edge of the cut have been partially or totally overcome. For example, for RFIC devices based on GaAs, multibeam laser singulation was the enabler for thinner substrates and higher production yields, and the elimination of process steps when using full metal wafer backside without etched streets cutting costs. In the production flow, it has been combined with wet etch processing steps to increase material die strength and remove burr. Similarly, such advantages can be exploited when combining multibeam laser processing of Si-based substrates with remote plasma etching schemes [3].To tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow in terms of wafer stack build and advanced packaging technologies, we are looking at innovative approaches and similar combinations of process steps. The introduction of ultra-short pulsed (USP) laser systems for wafer grooving has shown an important qualitative step forward. Due to the different temporal regime compared to nanosecond pulsed lasers, a different material removal mechanism is active. This results in higher die strengths, lower burr and better edge quality, matching the singulation requirements of different semiconductor market segments. For die-to-wafer hybrid bonding processing, burr free die edges and high die strength are essential. Here, the qualitative edge of USP multibeam laser grooving in removal of metals, polymers and dielectrics from the dicing street make a combination with plasma dicing a strong proposition. In plasma dicing, different plasma etch steps can be applied for the full or partial singulation of the wafer [4]. Typically, the bulk silicon is removed with the so-called Bosch-process. As mask removal and opening of the dicing street are essential to this, it implies that pairing USP grooving and plasma dicing can provide the decisive advantage for future advanced packaging approaches.The latest results in a range of applications of laser-based singulation of wafers will be presented with or without the combination of other process steps.Keywords: Laser singulation, semiconductor, etching, plasma dicing, hybrid bonding. [1] W.-S. Lei, A. Kumar, and R. Yalamanchili, Die singulation technologies for advanced packaging: A critical review, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, vol. 30, no. 4, p. 040801, 2012.[2] M. R. Mark, A review of laser ablation and dicing of Si wafers, Precision Engineering, 73 377–408, 2022.[3] R. Evertsen, N. Beckers, S. Wang and R. Van der Stam, Remote Plasma Etching of Backend Semiconductor Materials for Reliable Packaging, Solid State Phenomena , 1662-9779, Vol. 314, 312-317.[4] R. Barnett; O. Ansell and D. Thomas, Considerations and benefits of plasma etch based wafer dicing, Electronics, Packaging Technology Conference (EPTC 2013), 2013 IEEE 15th 569–574.

(Invited) Photo-Assisted Electron Emission from Silicon-Based Electron Emission Devices

Ultrafast pulsed electron sources with spatial coherence have attracted significant interest in emerging applications such as scientific instruments of ultrafast electron microscopy [1-3] and electron beam lithography [4], and also as sources of X-ray [5] and micro- and THz-waves [6-9]. In particular, high-frequency electron bunch trains generated directly from the cathode surface can not only dramatically reduce dimensions and weight through the elimination of the pre-modulation circuit, but can also provide extremely high efficiency and improve the power in the electron beam devices due to coherence effects.One solution is employing photoemission from electron sources driven by ultrashort laser pulses for such emerging applications. Metallic flat photocathodes and recently metallic nanotips have been employed. However, a low quantum efficiency (QE), typically of approximately 0.01 %, and a large work function require a high-power UV laser to generate an intense electron beam. Negative electron affinity (NEA) semiconductor photocathodes such as NEA GaAs can provide QE as high as ~ 10 % [10], operating using visible laser light irradiation. However, the NEA surface is fragile and easily damaged by residual gas adsorption or beam extraction.In this presentation, we introduce the research and development of gated Si-FEAs with a volcano structure and planar-type electron emission devices based on a MOS diode structure and discuss the potential of the devices as a photocathode of the devices operating without NEA surface treatment. We investigate the optical properties of emitted electrons from the devices under visible laser light irradiation. The results indicate that Si-based electron emission devices with a fully optimized structure hold promise as a photocathode with a high QE and a high-speed response for generating a train of ultrashort electron bunches, operating without NEA surface treatment.

Enhanced Scaling of Material Removal Rate with High Surface Quality Through Combined Laser Processes

In the field of ultrashort pulse laser processing, the effective utilization of average power provided by todays laser systems presents an almost unsolvable challenge. This study aims to address this challenge in the context of laser volume ablation. We propose a solution for utilization of high average power while producing a high-quality finish, even when starting from arbitrary surfaces. The approach combines closed loop laser volume ablation, laser cleaning and laser polishing in a subsequent process strategy. The closed loop approach enables ablative laser processes to be used to produce precise target geometries and surfaces, even if the initial geometry of the component is very different from the target geometry. One application example is the post-processing of components manufactured using additive processes such as laser powder bed fusion. Therefore, we demonstrate automated removal of support structures and finishing of a sample made of AlSi10Mg material by laser powder bed fusion. The combination of laser ablation and laser polishing made it possible to significantly increase the productivity of the post-processing and achieving a surface roughness of Ra = 0.3 µm.

Distortions in focusing laser pulses due to spatio-temporal couplings: an analytic description

Abstract In ultra-short laser pulses, small changes in dispersion properties before the final focusing mirror can lead to severe pulse distortions around the focus and therefore to very different pulse properties at the point of laser–matter interaction, yielding unexpected interaction results. The mapping between far- and near-field laser properties intricately depends on the spatial and angular dispersion properties as well as the focal geometry. For a focused Gaussian laser pulse under the influence of angular, spatial and group-delay dispersion, we derive analytical expressions for its pulse-front tilt, duration and width from a fully analytic expression for its electric field in the time–space domain obtained with scalar diffraction theory. This expression is not only valid in and near the focus but also along the entire propagation distance from the focusing mirror to the focus. Expressions relating angular, spatial and group-delay dispersion before focusing at an off-axis parabola, where they are well measurable, to the respective values in the pulse’s focus are obtained by a ray tracing approach. Together, these formulas are used to show in example setups that the pulse-front tilts of lasers with small initial dispersion can become several tens of degrees larger in the vicinity of the focus while being small directly in the focus. The formulas derived here provide the analytical foundation for observations previously made in numerical experiments. By numerically simulating Gaussian pulse propagation and measuring properties of the pulse at distances several Rayleigh lengths off the focus, we verify the analytic expressions.

Exploring fs-laser irradiation damage subthreshold behavior of dielectric mirrors via electrical measurements

Abstract With ultrafast laser systems reaching presently 10 PW peak power or operating at high repetition rates, research towards ensuring the long-term, trouble-free performance of all laser-exposed optical components is critical. Our work is focused on providing insight into the optical material behavior at fluences below the standardized laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) value by implementing a simultaneous dual analysis of surface emitted particles using a Langmuir probe (LP) and the target current (TC). ${\mathrm{HfO}}_2$ and ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_2$ thin films deposited on fused silica substrates by pulsed laser deposition at various ${\mathrm{O}}_2$ pressures for defect and stoichiometry control were irradiated by Gaussian, ultrashort laser pulses (800 nm, 10 Hz, 70 fs) in a wide range of fluences. Both TC and LP collected signals were in good agreement with the existing theoretical description of laser–matter interaction at an ultrashort time scale. Our approach for an in situ LIDT monitoring system provides measurable signals for below-threshold irradiation conditions that indicate the endurance limit of the optical surfaces in the single-shot energy scanning mode. The LIDT value extracted from the LP-TC system is in line with the multipulse statistical analysis done with ISO 21254-2:2011(E). The implementation of the LP and TC as on-shot diagnostic tools for optical components will have a significant impact on the reliability of next-generation ultrafast and high-power laser systems.

The interaction of electron with the infinitesimally short electromagnetic pulse

After the classical approach to acceleration of a charged particle by the δ-form impulsive force, we consider the corresponding quantum theory based on the Volkov solution of the Dirac equation. We determine the modified Compton formula for frequency of photons generated by the scattering of the δ-form laser pulse on the electron in a rest. The article follows the physical ideas involved in the author text with the title Electron in an Ultrashort Laser Pulse (Pardy, 2003).

Enhancement of mid-infrared saturable absorption of graphene by compositing with PbSe for ultra-short pulse lasers in the ∼ 2.8 to ∼ 4 μm band

The suitably large modulation depth of the saturable absorber (SA) is crucial to obtaining short pulse lasers via passive Q-switching or mode-locking techniques. Graphene could theoretically be used as a mid-infrared (mid-IR) SA due to its zero band-gap. However, the low modulation depth of graphene in the mid-IR region limits its applications. In this work, to improve the mid-IR modulation depth of graphene, a strategy of functionalizing graphene with narrow-band gap semiconductors was adopted. Graphene/PbSe (G/PbSe) composite was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal process and the reflective G/PbSe SA was prepared by spin-coating method. The saturation absorption properties were investigated by the open aperture Z-scan technique. The results indicated that the saturation absorption properties of G/PbSe SA were largely enhanced, and the modulation depth was increased from 3.02 % to 5.4 % at ∼ 2.8 μm and from 2.5 % to 6.4 % at ∼ 4 μm compared with pure graphene. Moreover, with the as-prepared reflective G/PbSe SA, passively Q-switched Er:YAP laser operation at ∼ 2.8 µm was realized. At the pump power of 6.78 W, the pulse train with pulse width of 326 ns and repetition rate of 107 kHz was obtained, and the average output power was 498 mW. This study presents a way for preparing graphene-based mid-IR SAs for short pulse mid-IR lasers.

Measurement of the decay of laser-driven linear plasma wakefields.

We present measurements of the temporal decay rate of one-dimensional (1D), linear Langmuir waves excited by an ultrashort laser pulse. Langmuir waves with relative amplitudes of approximately 6% were driven by 1.7J, 50fs laser pulses in hydrogen and deuterium plasmas of density n_{e0}=8.4×10^{17}cm^{-3}. The wakefield lifetimes were measured to be τ_{wf}^{H_{2}}=(9±2) ps and τ_{wf}^{D_{2}}=(16±8) ps, respectively, for hydrogen and deuterium. The experimental results were found to be in good agreement with 2D particle-in-cell simulations. In addition to being of fundamental interest, these results are particularly relevant to the development of laser wakefield accelerators and wakefield acceleration schemes using multiple pulses, such as multipulse laser wakefield accelerators.

Wavefront control of subcycle vortex pulses via carrier-envelope-phase tailoring

The carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of an ultrashort laser pulse is becoming more crucial to specify the temporal characteristic of the pulse’s electric field when the pulse duration becomes shorter and attains the subcycle regime; here, the pulse duration of the intensity envelope is shorter than one cycle period of the carrier field oscillation. When this subcycle pulse involves a structured wavefront as is contained in an optical vortex (OV) pulse, the CEP has an impact on not only the temporal but also the spatial characteristics owing to the spatiotemporal coupling in the structured optical pulse. However, the direct observation of the spatial effect of the CEP control has not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we report on the measurement and control of the spatial wavefront of a subcycle OV pulse by adjusting the CEP. To generate subcycle OV pulses, an optical parametric amplifier delivering subcycle Gaussian pulses and a Sagnac interferometer as a mode converter were integrated and provided an adequate spectral adaptability. The pulse duration of the generated OV pulse was 4.7 fs at a carrier wavelength of 1.54 µm. To confirm the wavefront control with the alteration of the CEP, we developed a novel f-2f interferometer that exhibited spiral fringes originating from the spatial interference between the subcycle OV pulse and the second harmonic of the subcycle Gaussian pulse producing a parabolic wavefront as a reference; this resulted in the successful observation of the rotation of spiral interference fringes during CEP manipulation.

Twin-Capture Rydberg State Excitation Enhanced with Few-Cycle Laser Pulses

Quantum excitation is usually regarded as a transient process occurring instantaneously, leaving the underlying physics shrouded in mystery. Recent research shows that Rydberg-state excitation with ultrashort laser pulses can be investigated and manipulated with state-of-the-art few-cycle pulses. We theoretically find that the efficiency of Rydberg state excitation can be enhanced with a short laser pulse and modulated by varying the laser intensities. We also uncover new facets of the excitation dynamics, including the launching of an electron wave packet through strong-field ionization, the re-entry of the electron into the atomic potential and the crucial step where the electron makes a U-turn, resulting in twin captures into Rydberg orbitals. By tuning the laser intensity, we show that the excitation of the Rydberg state can be coherently controlled on a sub-optical-cycle timescale. Our work paves the way toward ultrafast control and coherent manipulation of Rydberg states, thus benefiting Rydberg-state-based quantum technology.

Through the Forming Process of Femtosecond-Laser Nanotextured Sheets for Production of Complex 3D Parts

The use of ultra-short pulse lasers in the kW range, combined with an appropriate beam engineering approach, enables the achievement of high-throughput production of laser-functionalised surfaces. However, the manufacturing of complex parts still faces various challenges, such as difficulties in accessing regions with high aspect ratio shapes or intricate profiles, which often leads to the necessity of adapting the laser processing workstation to specific geometries. The forming process is a well-established technique for producing parts of any shape from metallic foils by imposing specific constraints. In this study, we aimed to assess the feasibility of producing laser-functionalised 3D complex products by the forming of laser-treated flat thin metallic sheets. Two-hundred micrometre-thick stainless-steel foils were textured with laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) through a roll-to-roll pilot line. First, we optimized the morphology of LIPSS. Subsequently, we conducted three types of mechanical tests on both laser-treated and untreated foils: standard tensile tests, fatigue tests, and cruciform specimen tests. We measured and compared parameters such as ultimate tensile strength, breaking strength, maximum elongation, and area reduction between specimens with and without LIPSS, all obtained from the same foil. Additionally, we utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to compare the LIPSS morphology of laser-treated samples before and after mechanical tests.

Influence of wavefront distortion on the measurement of pulse signal-to-noise ratio

The high-fidelity measurement of the ultra-short and ultra-intense laser pulses' temporal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is of great significance. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the influence of wavefront distortion on the measurement of pulse SNR. In this work, a numerical model is constructed to study how wavefront distortion affects the measurement of ultra-short and ultra-intense pulse SNR by the single-shot third-order auto-correlation (TOAC) method. The nonlinear coupled-wave equations with wavefront distortion have been solved numerically by the split-step Fourier method and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta numerical algorithm. The wavefront distortion of the under-test fundamental wave will be transmitted to the second harmonic and third harmonic, leading to the phase mismatch in the second harmonic generation (SHG) and third harmonic generation (THG), further resulting in the deterioration of the measured SNR. We analyze the influence of different spatial frequencies and peak-to-valley (PV) values on the measurements of SNR. The larger the spatial frequency or PV value of the wavefront distortion, the more severe the degradation of the SNR.

Intrapulse in situ Raman probing of electron, phonon and structural dynamics in synthetic diamond excited by ultrashort laser pulses: Insights into atomistic structural damage

Synthetic Ib-diamond plate with a minor concentration of substitutional atomic nitrogen C-centers was exposed in its bulk by tightly focused 0.2-ps, 525-nm laser pulses, coming at 80-MHz repetition rate and nJ-level variable pulse energies. Stokes first-order Raman scattering line related to 1332-cm−1 optical phonon was observed in the transmitted laser spectra and its pulse energy-dependent intensity, position wavenumber and half-width were analyzed. The Raman intensity, along with the second-order Raman band (2200–2700 cm−1), demonstrated quadratic dependence on pulse energy due to three-photon inter-band absorption, transforming at higher energies into a linear dependence for saturated absorption of opaque dense electron-hole plasma. Under these conditions, first-order Raman scattering was related to a non-resonant spontaneous process, enhanced by plasma emission of seeding coherent optical phonons. The Raman wavenumber decreased versus pulse energy via photo-injection of plasma and then slowly increased due to the “electronic” stress, until its final drop upon the onset of self-accelerated decay of optical phonons into acoustic ones (quasi-heating). The Raman half-width increased versus pulse energy due to the optical-phonon decay during the 0.2-ps laser pulse. An additional Stokes Raman band of radiation-induced defects was observed in the range of 900–1200 cm−1, exhibiting its yield scaling with generation of energetic Auger electrons. At the maximal pulse energies (stronger intra-pulse quasi-heating) all Raman lines disappeared, implying ultrafast structural disordering in the diamond without graphitization.

The Role of Collision Ionization of K-Shell Ions in Nonequilibrium Plasmas Produced by the Action of Super Strong, Ultrashort PW-Class Laser Pulses on Micron-Scale Argon Clusters with Intensity up to 5 × 1021 W/cm2

The generation of highly charged ions in laser plasmas is usually associated with collisional ionization processes that occur in electron–ion collisions. An alternative ionization channel caused by tunnel ionization in an optical field is also capable of effectively producing highly charged ions with ionization potentials of several kiloelectronvolts when the laser intensity q > 1020 W/cm2. It is challenging to clearly distinguish the impacts of the optical field and collisional ionizations on the evolution of the charge state of a nonequilibrium plasma produced by the interaction of high-intensity, ultrashort PW-class laser pulses with dense matter. In the present work, it is shown that the answer to this question can be obtained in some cases by observing the X-ray spectral lines caused by the transition of an electron into the K-shell of highly charged ions. The time-dependent calculations of plasma kinetics show that this is possible, for example, if sufficiently small clusters targets with low-density background gas are irradiated. In the case of Ar plasma, the limit of the cluster radius was estimated to be R0 = 0.1 μm. The calculation results for argon ions were compared with the results of the experiment at the J-KAREN-P laser facility at QST-KPSI.

Gaining a New Technological Readiness Level for Laser-Structured Electrodes in High-Capacity Lithium-Ion Pouch Cells

For the first time, the laser structuring of large-footprint electrodes with a loading of 4 mAh cm−2 has been validated in a relevant environment, including subsequent multi-layer stack cell assembly and electrochemical characterization of the resulting high-capacity lithium-ion pouch cell prototypes, i.e., a technological readiness level of 6 has been achieved for the 3D battery concept. The structuring was performed using a high-power ultrashort-pulsed laser, resulting in well-defined line structures in electrodes without damaging the current collector, and without melting or altering the battery active materials. For cells containing structured electrodes, higher charge and discharge capacities were measured for C-rates >1C compared to reference cells based on unstructured electrodes. In addition, cells with structured electrodes showed a three-fold increase in cycle lifetime at a C-rate of 1C compared to those with reference electrodes.

Transfer Learning For Predictive Quality In Laser-Induced Plasma Micro-Machining

Abstract In laser-induced plasma micro-machining (LIPMM), a focused, ultrashort pulsed laser beam creates a highly localized plasma zone within a transparent liquid dielectric. When the beam intensity is greater than the breakdown threshold in the dielectric media, plasma is formed which is then used to ablate the workpiece. This paper aims to facilitate in-situ process monitoring and quality prediction for LIPMM by developing a deep learning model to (1) understand the relationship between acoustic emission data and quality of micro-machining with LIPMM, (2) transfer such understanding across different process parameters, and (3) predict quality accurately by fine-tuning models with a smaller dataset. Experiments and results show that the relationship learned from one process parameter can be transferred to other parameters, requiring lesser data and lesser computational time for training the model. We investigate the feasibility of transfer learning and compare the performance of various transfer learning models: different input features, different CNN structures, and the same structure with different fine-tuned layers. The findings provide insights into how to design effective transfer learning models for manufacturing applications.

Spiral copropagation of two relativistic intense laser beams in a plasma channel.

The copropagation of two relativistic intense laser beams with orthogonal polarization in a parabolic plasma channel is studied analytically and numerically. A set of coupled equationsfor the evolution of the laser spot sizes and transverse centroids are derived by use of the variational approach. It is shown that the centroids of the two beams can spiral and oscillate around each other along the channel axis, where the characteristic frequency is determined both by the laser and plasma parameters. The results are verified by direct numerical solution of the relativistic nonlinear Schrödinger equationsfor the laser envelopes as well as three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. In the case with two ultrashort laser pulses when laser wakefields are excited, it is shown that the two wake bubbles driven by the laser pulses can spiral and oscillate around each other in a way similar to the two pulses. This can be well controlled by adjusting the incidence angle and separation distance between the two laser pulses. Preliminary studies show that externally injected electron beams can follow the trajectories of the oscillating bubbles. Our studies suggest a new way to control the coupling of two intense lasers in plasma for various applications, such as electron acceleration and radiation generation.

Corrosion behavior of nanostructured ferritic stainless steel by the generation of LIPSS with ultrashort laser pulses

Femtosecond ultra-short laser pulses can induce various micro- and nanostructural changes in the surface of stainless steel, paving the way for new functionalities in the application of these materials. In this work, UV, visible, and IR femtosecond laser pulses have been utilized on ferritic stainless steel under differing conditions of fluence, pulses per spot and hatch distance. These variables resulted in various compositional and micro- and nanostructural changes on the steel surfaces. The texturing processes which originate these changes can be meticulously designed by selecting the appropriate strategy and laser parameters, leading to Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) and other potential morphologies. A significant problem to consider during the laser treatment of stainless-steel surfaces is the effect that these microstructural modifications, induced by the ultra-short pulses, can have on the corrosion behavior and the brightness of the surface. On one hand, a detailed study of the effect that these treatments can have on the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel under investigation has been conducted. The study shows that under specific conditions, treatments with ultra-short laser pulses maintain the corrosion resistance of the surfaces. On the other hand, the study of the surface brightness after laser treatments, as measured by the Light Reflectance Value (LRV), shows that brightness is only slightly decreased (less than 10 %) for samples where Surface Density of Applied Energy (SDAE) is lower than 2 J/cm2. Furthermore, the diffuse LRV is increased in every textured sample due to the presence of ripples.

Electron-beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration of photons

The paper [R .T. Sandberg and A. G. R. Thomas, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 085001 (2023)] proposed a scheme to generate ultrashort, high energy pulses of XUV photons through dephasingless photon acceleration in a beam-driven plasma wakefield. An ultrashort laser pulse is placed in the plasma wake behind a relativistic electron bunch so that it experiences a density gradient and therefore shifts up in frequency. Using a tapered density profile provides phase-matching between the driver and witness pulses. In this paper, we study via particle-in-cell simulation the limits, practical realization, and 3D considerations for beam-driven photon acceleration using the tapered plasma density profile. We study increased efficiency by the use of a chirped drive pulse, establishing the necessity of the density profile shape we derived as opposed to a simple linear ramp, but also demonstrating that a piecewise representation of the profile—as could be experimentally achieved by a series of gas cells—is adequate for achieving phase matching. Scalings to even higher frequency shifts are given.