Electron bunch length measurements from laser-accelerated electrons using single-shot THz time-domain interferometry.
Laser-plasma wakefield-based electron accelerators are expected to deliver ultrashort electron bunches with unprecedented peak currents. However, their actual pulse duration has never been directly measured in a single-shot experiment. We present measurements of the ultrashort duration of such electron bunches by means of THz time-domain interferometry. With data obtained using a 0.5 J, 45 fs, 800 nm laser and a ZnTe-based electro-optical setup, we demonstrate the duration of laser-accelerated, quasimonoenergetic electron bunches [best fit of 32 fs (FWHM) with a 90% upper confidence level of 38 fs] to be shorter than the drive laser pulse, but similar to the plasma period.
Debus
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Forschungzentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute for Radiation Physics, 01328 Dresden, Germany. a.debus@fzd.de
Bussmann
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Schramm
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Sauerbrey
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Murphy
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Major
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Hörlein
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Veisz
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Schmid
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Schreiber
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Witte
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Jamison
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Gallacher
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Jaroszynski
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Kaluza
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Hidding
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Kiselev
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Heathcote
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Foster
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Neely
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Divall
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Hooker
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Smith
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Ertel
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Langley
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Norreys
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Collier
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Karsch
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