Single-shot measurement of the spectral envelope of broad-bandwidth terahertz pulses from femtosecond electron bunches

We present a new approach (demonstrated experimentally and through modeling) to characterize the spectral envelope of a terahertz (THz) pulse in a single shot. The coherent THz pulse is produced by a femtosecond electron bunch and contains information on the bunch duration. The technique, involving a single low-power laser probe pulse, is an extension of the conventional spectral encoding method (limited in time resolution to hundreds of femtoseconds) into a regime only limited in resolution by the laser pulse length (tens of femtoseconds). While only the bunch duration is retrieved (and not the exact charge profile), such a measurement provides a useful and critical parameter for optimization of the electron accelerator.     

Laser seeding of the storage-ring microbunching instability for high-power coherent terahertz radiation

We report the first observation of laser seeding of the storage-ring microbunching instability. Above a threshold bunch current, the interaction of the beam and its radiation results in a coherent instability, observed as a series of stochastic bursts of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) at terahertz frequencies initiated by fluctuations in the beam density. We have observed that this effect can be seeded by imprinting an initial density modulation on the beam by means of laser "slicing." In such a situation, most of the bursts of CSR become synchronous with the pulses of the modulating laser and their average intensity scales exponentially with the current per bunch. We present detailed experimental observations of the seeding effect and a model of the phenomenon. This seeding mechanism also creates potential applications as a high-power source of CSR at terahertz frequencies.     

Consideration of Femtosecond Radiation Generation on NewSUBARU Storage Ring

We studied on realization of short pulse gamma ray and X-ray simultaneously induced by a femtosecond laser on NewSUBARU storage ring. Based on the fact that the transverse dimensions of electron beam are much shorter than the longitudinal one, the laser light is arranged to collide the electron beam at a right angle to generate femtosecond pulse gamma ray, furthermore, the modulated part of the electron bunch gives rise to short pulse X-ray by synchrotron radiation from a downstream bending magnet. The temporal characteristic of the radiation is analyzed in this paper, as well as the performances are estimated.     

Generation of femtosecond X-ray pulses via laser–electron beam interaction

The generation of femtosecond X-ray pulses will have important scientific applications by enabling the direct measurement of atomic motion and structural dynamics in condensed matter on the fundamental time scale of a vibrational period. Interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with relativistic electron beams is an effective approach to generating femtosecond pulses of X-rays. In this paper we present recent results from proof-of-principle experiments in which 300 fs pulses are generated from a synchrotron storage ring by using an ultrashort optical pulse to create femtosecond time structure on the stored electron bunch. A previously demonstrated approach for generating femtosecond X-rays via Thomson scattering between terawatt laser pulses and relativistic electrons is reviewed and compared with storage-ring based schemes.     

A simple method for timing an XFEL source to high-power lasers

We propose a technique for timing an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) to a high-power conventional laser with femtosecond accuracy, yielding the relative jitter between pump and X-ray probe, and allowing sorting of experimental results over a certain time window. The same electron bunch is used to produce both an XFEL pulse and an ultrashort optical pulse by means of an optical radiator downstream of the X-ray undulator. Being produced by the same electron bunch, these pulses are perfectly synchronized. Cross-correlation techniques will allow to determine relative jitter between the optical pulse (and, thus, the XFEL pulse) and a pulse from an external pump-laser. Technical realization of the proposed timing scheme uses an optical-replica synthesizer setup to be installed after the final bunch-compression stage of the XFEL for electron bunch diagnostics purposes. A number of critical issues are quantitatively analyzed.     

Thomson backscattering X-rays from ultra-relativistic electron bunches and temporally shaped laser pulses

The process of Thomson scattering of an ultra-intense laser pulse by a relativistic electron bunch has been proposed as a way to obtain a bright source of short, tunable and quasi-monochromatic X-ray pulses. The real applicability of such a method depends crucially on the electron-beam quality, the angular and energetic distributions playing a relevant role. In this paper we present the computation of the Thomson-scattered radiation generated by a plane-wave, linearly polarized and flat-top laser pulse, incident on a counterpropagating electron bunch having a sizable angular divergence and a generic energy distribution. Both linear and nonlinear Thomson-scattering regimes are considered and the impact of the rising front of the pulse on the scattered-radiation distribution has been taken into account. Simplified relations valid for long laser pulses and small values of both scattering angle and bunch divergence are also reported. Finally, we apply the results to the cases of backscattering with electron bunches typically produced with both standard radio-frequency-based accelerators and laser–plasma accelerators.     

Generation of 30 microJ single-cycle terahertz pulses at 100 Hz repetition rate by optical rectification

We report the generation of 30 microJ single-cycle terahertz pulses at 100 Hz repetition rate by phase-matched optical rectification in lithium niobate using 28 mJ femtosecond laser pulses. The phase-matching condition is achieved by tilting the laser pulse intensity front. Temporal, spectral, and propagation properties of the generated terahertz pulses are presented. In addition, we discuss possibilities for further increasing the energy of single-cycle terahertz pulses obtained by optical rectification.     

Typesetting of terahertz waveforms

We demonstrate programmable generation of temporally shaped terahertz waveforms in LiNbO3 by spatially shaping the beam profile of femtosecond excitation laser pulses with a spatial light modulator. The generated terahertz waveforms have amplitudes that are approximately proportional to the first spatial derivative of the excitation beam profile.     

Measurement of the Gaponov-Miller force produced in vacuum by tightly focused intense femtosecond laser radiation

A method for measuring the Gaponov-Miller force (GMF) is demonstrated based on the deflection of a picosecond photoelectron beam exposed to tightly focused intense femtosecond laser radiation. It is shown experimentally that the action of this force produced by femtosecond laser pulses linearly depends on their intensity. The method can be used to verify the correctness of measuring the duration of an ultrashort electron bunch based on the GMF.     

Electron Acceleration and Bunch Generation by Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulse in Preplasma of a Target

We present analytical studies of electron acceleration in the low-density preplasma of a thin solid target by an intense femtosecond laser pulse. Electrons in the preplasma are trapped and accelerated by the ponderomotive force as well as the wake field. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that when the laser pulse is stopped by the target, electrons trapped in the laser pules can be extracted and move forward inertially. The energeticelectron bunch in the bubble is unaffected by the reflected pulse and passes through the target with small energy spread and emittance. There is an optimal preplasma density for the generation of the monoenergetic electron bunch if a laser pulse is given. The maximum electron energy is inverse proportion to the preplasma density.     

135 W average-power femtosecond pulses at 520 nm from a frequency-doubled fiber laser system

We present a high-average-power femtosecond laser system at 520 nm central wavelength. The laser system delivers sub-500 fs pulses with 135 W average power at a pulse repetition rate of 5.25 MHz. Excellent beam quality is provided by high power fiber amplifiers and maintained during frequency doubling, resulting in a beam quality factor of M2<1.2. To our knowledge, the system presented here is the highest average power green laser source generating femtosecond pulses with diffraction-limited beam quality.     

Production of a keV x-ray beam from synchrotron radiation in relativistic laser-plasma interaction

We demonstrate that a beam of x-ray radiation can be generated by simply focusing a single high-intensity laser pulse into a gas jet. A millimeter-scale laser-produced plasma creates, accelerates, and wiggles an ultrashort and relativistic electron bunch. As they propagate in the ion channel produced in the wake of the laser pulse, the accelerated electrons undergo betatron oscillations, generating a femtosecond pulse of synchrotron radiation, which has keV energy and lies within a narrow (50 mrad) cone angle.     

An intense terahertz radiation source at the Compact ERL

The Compact ERL is an energy recovery LINAC (ERL) test facility that is planned for KEK. The circumference of the recirculation path will be 70 m. Initially, the beam energy will be about 65 MeV and the current about 10 mA. Although the primary purpose of the machine is to aid the development of the key technologies that are essential for building an ultra-brilliant new synchrotron light source based on an ERL, the Compact ERL itself has great potential as an intense source of terahertz radiation. To generate the intense terahertz radiation, an electron bunch of a very short bunch length is required and bunch compression is inevitable. We discuss the parameters of the Compact ERL, present the results of a simulation of bunch compression, and make an estimate of the generated coherent synchrotron radiation.     

Experimental verification of laser photocathode RF gun as aninjector for a laser plasma accelerator

The feasibility of the laser photocathode RF gun, BNL/GUN-IV, as an injector for a laser plasma accelerator was investigated at the subpicosecond S-band twin linac system of the Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, University of Tokyo. Electron beam energy of 16 MeV, emittance of 6π mm mrad, bunch length of 240 fs (FWHM), and charge per bunch of 350 pC were confirmed at 10 Hz. As for diagnosis of the femtosecond electron bunch, the quantitative comparison of performance of the femtosecond streak camera, the coherent transition radiation (CTR) Michelson interferometer, and the far-infrared polychromator was carried out. We concluded that the streak camera is the most reliable up to 200 fs and that the polychromator is the best for the shorter electron bunch. The 3.5-ps (rms) resolved synchronization between the YLF laser driver for the gun and the electron bunch was achieved. Based on the above experiences, we have designed and installed a much better laser-electron synchronization system using the Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:Sapphire laser with the min harmonics synchrolocker and the stable 15-MW klystron. The timing jitter is expected to be suppressed down to 320 fs (rms)     

Wavelength-independent all-optical synchronization of a Q-switched 100-ps microchip laser to a femtosecond laser reference source

We present a Q-switched microchip laser emitting 1064-nm pulses as short as 100 ps synchronized to a cavity dumped femtosecond laser emitting 800-nm pulses as short as 80 fs. The synchronization is achieved by presaturating the saturable absorber of the microchip laser with femtosecond pulses even though both lasers emit at widely separated wavelengths. The mean timing jitter is 40 ps and thus considerably shorter than the pulse duration of the microchip laser.     

Generation and detection of incoherent phonons in picosecond ultrasonics

In picosecond ultrasonics experiments the absorption of a femtosecond laser pulse in a thin metallic transducer is used to generate very short acoustic pulses. These pulses are made of coherent longitudinal waves with a frequency spectrum that can reach 100-200 GHz. The laser pulse absorption gives rise to a heating of the film of a few Kelvin within a typical time of 1 ps. Later on, the heat goes in the substrate through an interface thermal resistance and is diffused by thermal conduction. At very low temperature and in pure crystals the thermal phonons emitted by the heated metallic film can propagate ballistically over large distances and produce a so-called heat pulse. We report on the experimental evidence of the coexistence of the coherent acoustic pulse and the incoherent heat pulse generated and detected by laser ultrasonics.     

Observation of frequency-locked coherent terahertz Smith-Purcell radiation

We report the observation of enhanced coherent Smith-Purcell radiation (SPR) at terahertz (THz) frequencies from a train of picosecond bunches of 15 MeV electrons passing above a grating. SPR is more intense than other sources, such as transition radiation, by a factor of Ng, the number of grating periods. For electron bunches that are short compared with the radiation wavelength, coherent emission occurs, enhanced by a factor of Ne, the number of electrons in the bunch. The electron beam consists of a train of Nb bunches, giving an energy density spectrum restricted to harmonics of the 17 GHz bunch train frequency, with an increased energy density at these frequencies by a factor of Nb. We report the first observation of SPR displaying all three of these enhancements, NgNeNb. This powerful SPR THz radiation can be detected with a high signal to noise ratio by a heterodyne receiver.     

Femtosecond electron pulse characterization using laser ponderomotive scattering

We demonstrate a method for the measurement of the instantaneous duration of femtosecond electron pulses using the ponderomotive force of an intense ultrashort laser pulse. An analysis procedure for the extraction of the electron pulse duration from the transient change of the transverse electron beam profile is proposed. The durations of the electron pulses generated in our setup were determined to be 410+/-30 fs.     

Generation of electron nanobunches and short-wavelength radiation upon reflection of a relativistic-intensity laser pulse from a finite-size target

We have proposed an efficient scheme of generation of short dense electron bunches during the interaction at large angles of incidence of a laser pulse with a thin transversally semibounded laser target. Streams of bunches can be used to simultaneously and independently generate pulsed X-ray radiation as fast electrons hit secondary targets. Dependences of bunch parameters (the number of particles in the bunch and the bunch energy and thickness) on the angle of incidence and laser intensity have been obtained. It has been shown that, upon reflection from the target, the relativistic-intensity laser wave is efficiently converted (the energy-conversion factor reaches ～20%) into a sequence of electromagnetic tens-of-nanometer-long atto pulses, which follow one after another in the period of the initial laser wave. We have investigated how the parameters of the atto pulse depend on the angle of incidence and the laser intensity. We have shown that atto pulses are generated most efficiently at large angles of incidence (≥50°) of the laser pulse on the target.     

Tunable few-cycle and multicycle coherent terahertz radiation from relativistic electrons

We report the generation of tunable, narrow-band, few-cycle and multicycle coherent terahertz (THz) pulses from a temporally modulated relativistic electron beam. We demonstrate that the frequency of the THz radiation and the number of the oscillation cycles of the THz electric field can be tuned by changing the modulation period of the electron beam through a temporally shaped photocathode drive laser. The central frequency of the THz spectrum is tunable from ～0.26 to 2.6 THz with a bandwidth of ～0.16 THz.