Self-Guided Laser Wakefield Acceleration beyond 1 GeV Using Ionization-Induced Injection

2010379 citationsJournal Articlegreen Open Access

Authors

C. E. Clayton · University of California, Los Angeles

J. E. Ralph · Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

F. Albert · Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Ricardo Fonseca · Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa

S. H. Glenzer · Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

C. Joshi · University of California, Los Angeles

W. Lu

Abstract

The concepts of matched-beam, self-guided laser propagation and ionization-induced injection have been combined to accelerate electrons up to 1.45 GeV energy in a laser wakefield accelerator. From the spatial and spectral content of the laser light exiting the plasma, we infer that the 60 fs, 110 TW laser pulse is guided and excites a wake over the entire 1.3 cm length of the gas cell at densities below 1.5 × 10(18) cm(-3). High-energy electrons are observed only when small (3%) amounts of CO2 gas are added to the He gas. Computer simulations confirm that it is the K-shell electrons of oxygen that are ionized and injected into the wake and accelerated to beyond 1 GeV energy.

Topics & Keywords

Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics High-pressure geophysics and materials Advanced X-ray Imaging Techniques

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Affordable and clean energy

Publication Details

Published in: Physical Review Letters

Volume 105, Issue 10, pp. 105003-105003

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.105.105003

Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 47.17