Controlling the group velocity of an intense laser pulse using a pre-pulse

Samuel R. Yoffe, Bernhard Ersfeld, Devki N. Gupta, Arohi Jain, Matthew P. Tooley, George K. Holt, Dino A. Jaroszynski

Research output: Contribution to journalConference Contributionpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
5557 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The accelerating structure of the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) is dynamic and highly sensitive to the local laser and plasma properties. It can expand and contract as it responds to the evolution of the laser and plasma fields. As a result, the position of, and environment within, the LWFA bubble are usually time dependent, which is not ideal for stable acceleration. Variations can have a negative impact on electron bunch properties, and are deleterious for ion channel lasers and plasma wigglers. We demonstrate how a laser pre-pulse improves the stability of the LWFA, and controls the evolution of the laser group and bubble velocity, which are important for determining LWFA dephasing and ultimately the electron bunch energy.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages10
JournalProceedings of SPIE
Volume11778
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Apr 2021
EventSPIE Optics + Optoelectronics - Online only
Duration: 19 Apr 202123 Apr 2021
https://spie.org/optics-optoelectronics

Keywords

  • laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA)
  • electron acceleration
  • laser group velocity
  • numerical simulation
  • particle-in-cell
  • PIC

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Controlling the group velocity of an intense laser pulse using a pre-pulse'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this