title: Laser-driven electron cyclotron autoresonance accelerator with production of an optically chopped electron beam.
abstract: Analysis is presented of the gyroresonant acceleration of electrons in a vacuum using a focused laser. Continuous and equal acceleration is shown for electrons injected at all optical phases over an interaction length of tens of centimeters. Beam stalling is avoided as beam energy increases. Acceleration from 50 to 178 MeV is predicted for a 4 TW, 10.6-microm laser focused to a waist radius of 1.0 mm; these parameters correspond to a planned experiment. A beam stop with an off-axis hole after acceleration is shown to create a train of optically chopped bunches with 3-fs bunch lengths and a 35-fs period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8120 and Omega-P, Inc., Suite 100, 345 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hirshfield
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang