Ionization Induced Trapping in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator

C. McGuffey, A. G. R. Thomas, W. Schumaker, T. Matsuoka, V. Chvykov, F. J. Dollar, G. Kalintchenko, V. Yanovsky, A. Maksimchuk, K. Krushelnick, V. Yu. Bychenkov, I. V. Glazyrin, and A. V. Karpeev
Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 025004 – Published 15 January 2010

Abstract

Experimental studies of electrons produced in a laser wakefield accelerator indicate trapping initiated by ionization of target gas atoms. Targets composed of helium and controlled amounts of various gases were found to increase the beam charge by as much as an order of magnitude compared to pure helium at the same electron density and decrease the beam divergence from 5.1±1.0 to 2.9±0.8mrad. The measurements are supported by particle-in-cell modeling including ionization. This mechanism should allow generation of electron beams with lower emittance and higher charge than in preionized gas.

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  • Received 3 August 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.025004

©2010 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

C. McGuffey, A. G. R. Thomas, W. Schumaker, T. Matsuoka, V. Chvykov, F. J. Dollar, G. Kalintchenko, V. Yanovsky, A. Maksimchuk, and K. Krushelnick

  • Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA

V. Yu. Bychenkov

  • P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia

I. V. Glazyrin and A. V. Karpeev

  • RFNC-VNIITF, Snezhinsk 456770, Chelyabinsk region, Russia

See Also

Injection and Trapping of Tunnel-Ionized Electrons into Laser-Produced Wakes

A. Pak, K. A. Marsh, S. F. Martins, W. Lu, W. B. Mori, and C. Joshi
Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 025003 (2010)

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Vol. 104, Iss. 2 — 15 January 2010

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