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Observation of Laser Power Amplification in a Self-Injecting Laser Wakefield Accelerator.
M J V Streeter1,2,3, S Kneip3, M S Bloom3
1The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury WA4 4AD, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|July 7, 2018
Summary
In laser wakefield acceleration, researchers observed significant laser pulse power amplification, increasing peak power to 318 TW. This phenomenon is linked to electron acceleration within the plasma wakefield.
Area of Science:
- Plasma Physics
- Laser-Plasma Interactions
- Particle Acceleration
Background:
- Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) is a promising technique for generating high-energy particle beams.
- Understanding laser pulse dynamics, including depletion and amplification, is crucial for optimizing LWFA performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the depletion and power amplification of a driving laser pulse in a strongly driven LWFA.
- To correlate laser pulse evolution with electron acceleration dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous measurement of transmitted laser pulse energy and temporal shape.
- Propagation of the laser pulse through a plasma with a density of 0.9×10^18 cm^-3 over 13 mm.
- Modeling the process using localized redshift and group delay dispersion at the laser pulse front.
Main Results:
- Observed power amplification of the driving laser pulse, with peak power increasing from 187±11 TW to a maximum of 318±12 TW.
- Correlation between laser power amplification and the injection and acceleration of electrons in the nonlinear wakefield.
- Successful modeling of the observed phenomena.
Conclusions:
- Laser pulse power amplification is an integral part of strongly driven LWFA, contributing to electron acceleration.
- The interplay between laser pulse evolution and wakefield dynamics is key to efficient particle acceleration.
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