Laser Wakefield Acceleration Using Mid-Infrared Laser Pulses

We study a laser wakefield acceleration driven by mid-infrared （mid-IR） laser pulses through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Since a mid-IR laser pulse can deliver a larger ponderomotive force as compared with the usual 0.8 μm wavelength laser pulse, it is found that electron self-injection into the wake wave occurs at an earlier time, the plasma density threshold for injection becomes lower, and the electron beam charge is substantially enhanced. Meanwhile, our study also shows that quasimonoenergetic electron beams with a narrow energy-spread can be generated by using mid-IR laser pulses. Such a mid-IR laser pulse can provide a feasible method for obtaining a high quality and high charge electron beam. Therefore, the current efforts on constructing mid-IR terawatt laser systems can greatly benefit the laser wakefield acceleration research.

Electromagnetic Emission from Laser Wakefields in Magnetized Underdense Plasmas

A wakefield driven by a short intense laser pulse in a perpendicularly magnetized underdense plasma is studied analytically and numerically for both weakly relativistic and highly relativistic situations. Owing to the DC magnetic field, a transverse component of the electric fields associated with the wakefield appears, while the longitudinal wave is not greatly affected by the magnetic field up to 22 Tesla. Moreover, the scaling law of the transverse field versus the longitudinal field is derived. One-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation results confirm the analytical results. Wakefield transmission through the plasma-vacuum boundary, where electromagnetic emission into vacuum occurs, is also investigated numerically. These results are useful for the generation of terahertz radiation and the diagnosis of laser wakefields.

Developments in laser wakefield accelerators:From single-stage to two-stage

Laser wakefield accelerators（LWFAs） are compact accelerators which can produce femtosecond high-energy electron beams on a much smaller scale than the conventional radiofrequency accelerators. It is attributed to their high acceleration gradient which is about 3 orders of magnitude larger than the traditional ones. The past decade has witnessed the major breakthroughs and progress in developing the laser wakfield accelerators. To achieve the LWFAs suitable for applications,more and more attention has been paid to optimize the LWFAs for high-quality electron beams. A single-staged LWFA does not favor generating controllable electron beams beyond 1 Ge V since electron injection and acceleration are coupled and cannot be independently controlled. Staged LWFAs provide a promising route to overcome this disadvantage by decoupling injection from acceleration and thus the electron-beam quality as well as the stability can be greatly improved.This paper provides an overview of the physical conceptions of the LWFA, as well as the major breakthroughs and progress in developing LWFAs from single-stage to two-stage LWFAs.

Effect of multiple parameters on the supersonic gas-jet target characteristics for laser wakefield acceleration

The supersonic gas-jet target is an important experimental target for laser wakefield acceleration(LWFA),which has great potential for driving novel radiation sources such as betatron radiation and Compton scattering gamma rays.According to different electron acceleration requirements,it is necessary to provide specific supersonic gas jets with different density profiles to generate electron beams with high quality and high repetition rates.In this study,the interference images and density profiles of different gas-jet targets were obtained through a modified Nomarski interference diagnosis system.The relationships between the gas density and back pressure,nozzle structure,and other key parameters were studied.Targets with different characteristics are conducive to meeting the various requirements of LWFA.

Collimated gamma rays from laser wakefield accelerated electrons

Betatron radiation from laser wakefield accelerated electrons and X-rays scattered off a counter-propagating relativistic electron bunch arecollimated and hold the potential to extend the energy range to hard X-ray or gamma ray band. The peak brightness of these incoherent radiations could reach the level of the brightest synchrotron light sources in the world due to their femtosecond pulse duration and source sizedown to a few micrometers. In this article, the principle and properties of these radiation sources are briefly reviewed and compared. Then wepresent our recent progress in betatron radiation enhancement in the perspective of both photon energy and photon number. The enhancement istriggered by using a clustering gas target, arousing a second injection of a fiercely oscillating electron bunch with large charge or stimulating aresonantly enhanced oscillation of the ionization injected electrons. By adopting these methods, bright photon source with energy over 100 keVis generated which would greatly impact applications such as nuclear physics, diagnostic radiology, laboratory astrophysics and high-energydensity science.

Influence of a Static Magnetic Field on Beam Emittance in Laser Wakefield Acceleration

The enhancement of trapping and the optimization of beam quality are two key issues of Laser Wakefield Acceleration (LWFA). The effect of a homogenous constant magnetic field B0, parallel to the direction of propagation of the pump pulse, is studied in the blowout regime via 2Dx3Dv Particle-In-Cell simulations. Electrons are injected into the wake using a counter-propagating low amplitude laser. Transverse currents are generated at the rim of the bubble, which results in the amplification of the B0 field at the rear of the bubble. Therefore the dynamics of the beam is modified, the main effect is the reduction of the transverse emittance when B0 is raised. Depending on beam loading effects the low energy tail, observed in the non-magnetized case, can be suppressed when B0 is applied, which provides a mono-energetic beam.

Effect of sharp vacuum-plasma boundary on the electron injection and acceleration in a few-cycle laser driven wakefield

The electron injection and acceleration driven by a few-cycle laser with a sharp vacuum-plasma boundary have been investigated through three-dimensional(3D)particle-in-cell simulations.It is found that an isotropic boundary impact injection(BII)first occurs at the vacuum-plasma boundary,and then carrier-envelope-phase(CEP)shift causes the transverse oscillation of the plasma bubble,resulting in a periodic electron self-injection(SI)in the laser polarization direction.It shows that the electron charge of the BII only accounts for a small part of the total charge,and the CEP can effectively tune the quality of the injected electron beam.The dependences of laser intensity and electron density on the total charge and the ratio of BII charge to the total charge are studied.The results are beneficial to electron acceleration and its applications,such as betatron radiation source.

Laser wakefield electron acceleration for γ-ray radiography application

An electron beam is obtained using laser wakefield electron accelerator, and converted into a γ-ray source after undergoing bremsstrahlung radiation in a dense material. A quasi-monoenergetic structure is observed when the length of the plasma channel was modified. The structure has a 58-MeV peak energy, 15- mrad （full-width at half-maximum） divergence angle, and 340-pC charge. The γ-ray source generated by this high-quality electron beam is brighter and has higher spatial and temporal resolutions than other conventional sources. A γ-ray radiography demonstrational experiment is performed. Pictures of a ball with different layers made of different materials are taken. The results show a clear structure and density resolution.

Faraday-rotation self-interference method for electron beam duration measurement in the laser wakefield accelerator

Real-time single-shot measurement of the femtosecond electron beam duration in laser wakefield accelerators is discussed for both experimental design and theoretical analysis that combines polarimetry and interferometry.The probe pulse polarization is rotated by the azimuthal magnetic field of the electron beam and then introduced into a Michelson-type interferometer for self-interference. The electron beam duration is obtained from the region size of the interference fringes, which is independent of the pulse width of the probe laser. Using a larger magnification system or incident angle, the measurement resolution can be less than 1 fs.

Plasma density transition-based electron injection in laser wake field acceleration driven by a flying focus laser

By using a high-intensity flying focus laser,the dephasingless[Phys.Rev.Lett.124134802(2020)]or phase-locked[Nat.Photon.14475(2020)]laser wakefield acceleration(LWFA)can be realized,which may overcome issues of laser diffraction,pump depletion,and electron dephasing which are always suffered in usual LWFA.The scheme thus has the potentiality to accelerate electrons to Te V energy in a single acceleration stage.However,the controlled electron injection has not been self-consistently included in such schemes.Only external injection was suggested in previous theoretical studies,which requires other accelerators and is relatively difficulty to operate.Here,we numerically study the actively controlled density transition injection in phase-locked LWFA to get appropriate density profiles for amount of electron injection.The study shows that compared with LWFA driven by lasers with fixed focus,a larger plasma density gradient is necessary.Electrons experience both transverse and longitudinal loss during acceleration due to the superluminal group velocity of the driver and the variation of the wakefield structure.Furthermore,the periodic deformation and fracture of the flying focus laser in the high-density plasma plateau make the final injected charge also depend on the beginning position of the density downramp.Our studies show a possible way for amount of electron injection in LWFA driven by flying focus lasers.

Electromagnetic radiation from laser wakefields in underdense plasma

It is demonstrated by simulations and analysis that a wakefield driven by an ultrashort intense laser pulse in underdense plasma can emit tunable electromagnetic radiation along the laser propagation direction. The profile of such a kind of radiation is closely associated with the structure of the laser wakefield. In general, electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz range with its frequency a few times the electron plasma frequency can be generated in the moderate intensity regime. In the highly nonlinear case, a chain of radiation pulses is formed corresponding to the nonlinear structure of the wake. Study shows that the radiation is associated with the self-modulation process of the laser pulse in the wakefield and resulting transverse electron momenta from modulated asymmetric laser fields.

All-optical μ^- acceleration in the laser wakefield

Muons produced by the Bethe–Heitler process from laser wakefield accelerated electrons interacting with high Z materials have velocities close to the laser wakefield. It is possible to accelerate those muons with laser wakefield directly.Therefore for the first time we propose an all-optical ‘Generator and Booster’ scheme to accelerate the produced muons by another laser wakefield to supply a prompt, compact, low cost and controllable muon source in laser laboratories. The trapping and acceleration of muons are analyzed by one-dimensional analytic model and verified by two-dimensional particle-in-cell(PIC) simulation. It is shown that muons can be trapped in a broad energy range and accelerated to higher energy than that of electrons for longer dephasing length. We further extrapolate the dependence of the maximum acceleration energy of muons with the laser wakefield relativistic factor γ and the relevant initial energy E_0. It is shown that a maximum energy up to 15.2 GeV is promising with γ = 46 and E_0= 1.45 Ge V on the existing short pulse laser facilities.

Wakefield generation by chirped super-Gaussian laser pulse in inhomogeneous plasma

We study the effect of nonlinearly chirped super-Gaussian （SG） laser pulse on wakefield generation in an inhomogeneous plasma. The different types of nonlinearly chirped pulse are employed, and different kinds of inhomogeneous plasma density are used. The maximum wakefield amplitude as the function of nonlinearly chirped laser pulse and inhomogeneous plasma density in parameter space are obtained. Moreover, the dependence of the maximum wakefield amplitude on the SG laser pulse index is discussed. This shows that a larger wakefield can be obtained when the chirped pulse and inhomogeneous density are in the critical regions. Wakefield generation can be controlled by adjusting the chirped SG pulse and inhomogeneous plasma density parameters. That is, we provide an efficient way for the controlled generation of the wakefield.

利用均匀密度等离子体通道加速质子的辐射压力增强方案

提出了辐射压力加速与激光尾波场加速相结合的高能质子加速方案.该方案中在临界密度薄靶后端增加一个均匀密度等离子体通道获得了峰值能量为22.2 GeV、截止能量为36.4 GeV和电荷量为0.67 nC的高能质子束,与质子在纯辐射压力加速中相比,其高能质子的截止能量可以提升2个数量级.结果证实了通过在近临界密度薄靶后面连接一个均匀密度等离子体通道,等离子体通道中激光激发的尾波场可以捕获经辐射压力过程预加速的质子并维持长时间的加速,最终获得高能质子,本文还研究了不同均匀密度等离子体通道中质子的加速情况,发现密度越高,则被加速质子的峰值能量和截止能量越高,电荷量也越大.该组合加速方案对高能质子束的产生与应用具有一定的指导意义.

Influence of a Magnetic Guide Field on Injection in Wakefield Acceleration

The influence of an external static field applied in the direction parallel to the direction of propagation of a high intensity driving laser pulse on the electron trapping in laser wakefield acceleration is explored.

Influence of a Magnetic Guide Field on Self-Injection in Wakefield Acceleration

The influence of an external static field applied in the direction of propagation of a high intensity driving laser pulse on the electron trapping in laser wakefield acceleration is explored. It is shown that, in the case of self-injection, the electric charge accelerated can be enhanced in some physical situations.

Generation of polarized electron beams through self-injection in the interaction of a laser with a pre-polarized plasma

Polarized electron beam production via laser wakefield acceleration in pre-polarized plasma is investigated by particlein-cell simulations.The evolution of the electron beam polarization is studied based on the Thomas±Bargmann±Michel±Telegdi equation for the transverse and longitudinal self-injection,and the depolarization process is found to be influenced by the injection schemes.In the case of transverse self-injection,as found typically in the bubble regime,the spin precession of the accelerated electrons is mainly influenced by the wakefield.However,in the case of longitudinal injection in the quasi-1D regime(for example,F.Y.Li et al.,Phys.Rev.Lett.110,135002(2013)),the direction of electron spin oscillates in the laser field.Since the electrons move around the laser axis,the net influence of the laser field is nearly zero and the contribution of the wakefield can be ignored.Finally,an ultra-short electron beam with polarization of 99%can be obtained using longitudinal self-injection.

一种低喷气量微气室喷嘴在激光尾场加速中的应用

激光尾场加速是一种利用超强飞秒激光与气体靶作用加速电子的新型加速技术,经过40多年的发展已经日益成熟,但是重复频率相比传统加速器还有很大的差距.高重复频率加速是未来激光尾场加速的一个重要发展方向,届时气体靶给真空系统带来的负载将不可忽视,这可能会成为限制重复频率的重要因素.本文设计了一种应用于中小规模激光器的微气室喷嘴,并通过三维流体模拟对比了这种喷嘴和常用的超音速喷嘴的喷气量差异,证明它不仅能够产生和超音速喷嘴类似的密度分布,还能够大幅降低喷气量,从而减小真空系统的负载,提高重频的上限.此外,把这种微气室喷嘴应用于激光尾场加速实验中,在多条件下产生了稳定性很好的电子束.这个工作将为高重频、高稳定性的尾场加速做出贡献.

用于激光尾波加速的弯曲毛细管内气流运动的模拟研究

高压放电充气毛细管可产生等离子体通道,用于激光尾波加速.为探究尾波级联加速所使用毛细管内的气体流动及分布规律,本文建立了基于标准k-ε模型的弯曲毛细管内气体流动计算模型.以氦气为工质,对弯曲毛细管内可压气体流动过程进行数值模拟,分析了不同结构、充气背压、充气口位置对毛细管内气体密度分布及速度场的影响.结果表明:双侧对冲弯曲毛细管在充气口之间管段具有较为稳定的气体密度分布,充气口附近气体密度波动随充气口与毛细管两端距离的增大而减小;在“直+弯”结构的级联加速毛细管中,负责电子注入的直通道口径会对弯管内气体密度分布造成影响,当电子注入通道口径小于150μm时,弯曲毛细管内气体流动受到直通道的影响较小,可作为级联结构中的电子束导引通道.