Self-guided laser wakefield acceleration beyond 1 GeV using ionization-induced injection.
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.
Clayton
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CE
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. cclayton@ucla.edu
Ralph
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Albert
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Fonseca
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Glenzer
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Joshi
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Lu
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Marsh
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Martins
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Mori
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Pak
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Tsung
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Pollock
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Ross
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Silva
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Froula
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