Ultrashort high energy electron bunches from tunable surface plasma waves driven with laser wavefront rotation

Area of Science:

• Plasma Physics
• Laser-Plasma Interactions
• Particle Acceleration

Background:

• Surface plasma waves (SPW) are crucial for compact particle accelerators.
• Controlling SPW properties like duration and amplitude is key for efficient electron acceleration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the use of ultrahigh intensity laser pulses with wave-front rotation (WFR) for generating ultraintense and short-duration SPW.
• To optimize WFR conditions and grating design for enhanced electron acceleration.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing ultrahigh intensity laser pulses with wave-front rotation (WFR).
• Employing smart grating targets and optimizing WFR conditions.
• Conducting analytical modeling and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated short (few optical cycles) and ultraintense SPW.
• Achieved significant electron acceleration, producing bunches with high charge (tens of pC) and energy (up to 70 MeV).
• Obtained ultrashort electron bunches with durations of a few femtoseconds (fs).

Conclusions:

• The proposed method combining WFR and optimized grating targets effectively enhances SPW generation.
• This technique offers a promising pathway for compact and efficient electron acceleration.