title: Few-cycle laser-driven electron acceleration.
abstract: We report on an electron accelerator based on few-cycle (8 fs full width at half maximum) laser pulses, with only 40 mJ energy per pulse, which constitutes a previously unexplored parameter range in laser-driven electron acceleration. The produced electron spectra are monoenergetic in the tens-of-MeV range and virtually free of low-energy electrons with thermal spectrum. The electron beam has a typical divergence of 5-10 mrad. The accelerator is routinely operated at 10 Hz and constitutes a promising source for several applications. Scalability of the few-cycle driver in repetition rate and energy implies that the present work also represents a step towards user friendly laser-based accelerators.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany. karl.schmid@mpq.mpg.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veisz
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authors.lastname: Tavella
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authors.lastname: Benavides
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authors.lastname: Tautz
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authors.lastname: Herrmann
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authors.lastname: Hidding
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authors.lastname: Marcinkevicius
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authors.lastname: Schramm
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authors.lastname: Geissler
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authors.lastname: Meyer-Ter-Vehn
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authors.lastname: Habs
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authors.lastname: Krausz