# High-energy coherent terahertz radiation emitted by wide-angle electron beams from a laser-wakefield accelerator

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

9 Citations (Scopus)

### Abstract

High-charge electron beams produced by laser-wakefield accelerators are potentially novel, scalable sources of high-power terahertz radiation suitable for applications requiring high-intensity fields. When an intense laser pulse propagates in underdense plasma, it can generate femtosecond duration, self-injected picocoulomb electron bunches that accelerate on-axis to energies from 10s of MeV to several GeV, depending on laser intensity and plasma density. The process leading to the formation of the accelerating structure also generates non-injected, sub-picosecond duration, 1-2~MeV nanocoulomb electron beams emitted obliquely into a hollow cone around the laser propagation axis. These wide-angle beams are stable and depend weakly on laser and plasma parameters. Here we perform simulations to characterise the coherent transition radiation emitted by these beams if passed through a thin metal foil, or directly at the plasma-vacuum interface, showing that coherent terahertz radiation with 10s~$\mu$J to mJ-level energy can be produced with an optical to terahertz conversion efficiency up to 10^{-4}-10^{-3}.
Original language English 043046 21 New Journal of Physics 20 16 Mar 2018 https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aab74d Published - 20 Apr 2018

accelerators
electron beams
lasers
energy
metal foils
plasma density
hollow
cones
energy levels
vacuum
propagation
pulses
electrons
simulation

### Keywords

• terahertz generation
• laser-driven electron acceleration
• electron beams

### Cite this

@article{8d52368377c040bea8773d655efd862b,
title = "High-energy coherent terahertz radiation emitted by wide-angle electron beams from a laser-wakefield accelerator",
abstract = "High-charge electron beams produced by laser-wakefield accelerators are potentially novel, scalable sources of high-power terahertz radiation suitable for applications requiring high-intensity fields. When an intense laser pulse propagates in underdense plasma, it can generate femtosecond duration, self-injected picocoulomb electron bunches that accelerate on-axis to energies from 10s of MeV to several GeV, depending on laser intensity and plasma density. The process leading to the formation of the accelerating structure also generates non-injected, sub-picosecond duration, 1-2~MeV nanocoulomb electron beams emitted obliquely into a hollow cone around the laser propagation axis. These wide-angle beams are stable and depend weakly on laser and plasma parameters. Here we perform simulations to characterise the coherent transition radiation emitted by these beams if passed through a thin metal foil, or directly at the plasma-vacuum interface, showing that coherent terahertz radiation with 10s~$\mu$J to mJ-level energy can be produced with an optical to terahertz conversion efficiency up to 10^{-4}-10^{-3}.",
keywords = "terahertz generation, laser-driven electron acceleration, electron beams",
author = "Xue Yang and Enrico Brunetti and Jaroszynski, {Dino A.}",
year = "2018",
month = "4",
day = "20",
doi = "10.1088/1367-2630/aab74d",
language = "English",
volume = "20",
journal = "New Journal of Physics",
issn = "1367-2630",

}

In: New Journal of Physics, Vol. 20, 043046, 20.04.2018.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

TY - JOUR

T1 - High-energy coherent terahertz radiation emitted by wide-angle electron beams from a laser-wakefield accelerator

AU - Yang, Xue

AU - Brunetti, Enrico

AU - Jaroszynski, Dino A.

PY - 2018/4/20

Y1 - 2018/4/20

N2 - High-charge electron beams produced by laser-wakefield accelerators are potentially novel, scalable sources of high-power terahertz radiation suitable for applications requiring high-intensity fields. When an intense laser pulse propagates in underdense plasma, it can generate femtosecond duration, self-injected picocoulomb electron bunches that accelerate on-axis to energies from 10s of MeV to several GeV, depending on laser intensity and plasma density. The process leading to the formation of the accelerating structure also generates non-injected, sub-picosecond duration, 1-2~MeV nanocoulomb electron beams emitted obliquely into a hollow cone around the laser propagation axis. These wide-angle beams are stable and depend weakly on laser and plasma parameters. Here we perform simulations to characterise the coherent transition radiation emitted by these beams if passed through a thin metal foil, or directly at the plasma-vacuum interface, showing that coherent terahertz radiation with 10s~$\mu$J to mJ-level energy can be produced with an optical to terahertz conversion efficiency up to 10^{-4}-10^{-3}.

AB - High-charge electron beams produced by laser-wakefield accelerators are potentially novel, scalable sources of high-power terahertz radiation suitable for applications requiring high-intensity fields. When an intense laser pulse propagates in underdense plasma, it can generate femtosecond duration, self-injected picocoulomb electron bunches that accelerate on-axis to energies from 10s of MeV to several GeV, depending on laser intensity and plasma density. The process leading to the formation of the accelerating structure also generates non-injected, sub-picosecond duration, 1-2~MeV nanocoulomb electron beams emitted obliquely into a hollow cone around the laser propagation axis. These wide-angle beams are stable and depend weakly on laser and plasma parameters. Here we perform simulations to characterise the coherent transition radiation emitted by these beams if passed through a thin metal foil, or directly at the plasma-vacuum interface, showing that coherent terahertz radiation with 10s~$\mu$J to mJ-level energy can be produced with an optical to terahertz conversion efficiency up to 10^{-4}-10^{-3}.

KW - terahertz generation

KW - laser-driven electron acceleration

KW - electron beams

UR - http://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1367-2630

U2 - 10.1088/1367-2630/aab74d

DO - 10.1088/1367-2630/aab74d

M3 - Article

VL - 20

JO - New Journal of Physics

JF - New Journal of Physics

SN - 1367-2630

M1 - 043046

ER -