Advanced laser-plasma diagnostics for a modular high-repetition-rate plasma electron accelerator

We present a laser–plasma electron accelerator module designed to be driven by high-repetition-rate lasers for industrial applications of laser-driven electron beams. It consists of a single vacuum chamber containing all the necessary components for producing, optimizing, and monitoring electron beams generated via laser wakefield acceleration in a gas jet when driven by a suitable laser. The core methods in this paper involve a comprehensive metrological assessment of the driving laser by rigorous temporal laser pulse characterization and contrast measurements, supplemented by detailed spatiotemporal distribution analyses of the laser focus. Results demonstrate the good stability and reproducibility of the laser system, confirming its suitability for advanced scientific and industrial applications. We further demonstrate the functionality of the laser–plasma accelerator module diagnostics, perform target density characterizations, and time-resolved laser–plasma shadowgraphy. Current limitations of the set-up preventing first electron acceleration are analyzed and an outlook for future experiments is given. Our work is a first step towards the wide dissemination of fully integrated laser–plasma accelerator technology.