Collimated multi-MeV ion beams from high-intensity laser interactions with underdense plasma

A beam of multi-MeV helium ions has been observed from the interaction of a short-pulse high-intensity laser pulse with underdense helium plasma. The ion beam was found to have a maximum energy for He2+ of (40(+3)(-8)) MeV and was directional along the laser propagation path, with the highest energy ions being collimated to a cone of less than 10 degrees. 2D particle-in-cell simulations show that the ions are accelerated by a sheath electric field that is produced at the back of the gas target. This electric field is generated by transfer of laser energy to a hot electron beam, which exits the target generating large space-charge fields normal to its boundary.     

Low emittance, high brilliance relativistic electron beams from a laser-plasma accelerator

Progress in laser wakefield accelerators indicates their suitability as a driver of compact free-electron lasers (FELs). High brightness is defined by the normalized transverse emittance, which should be less than 1π mm mrad for an x-ray FEL. We report high-resolution measurements of the emittance of 125 MeV, monoenergetic beams from a wakefield accelerator. An emittance as low as 1.1±0.1π mm mrad is measured using a pepper-pot mask. This sets an upper limit on the emittance, which is comparable with conventional linear accelerators. A peak transverse brightness of 5×101? A m?1 rad?1 makes it suitable for compact XUV FELs.     

Effect of plasma scale length on multi-MeV proton production by intense laser pulses

The influence of the plasma density scale length on the production of MeV protons from thin foil targets irradiated at I lambda(2) = 5 x 10(19) W cm(-2) has been studied. With an unperturbed foil, protons with energy >20 MeV were formed in an exponential energy spectrum with a temperature of 2.5+/-0.3 MeV. When a plasma with a scale length of 100 microm was preformed on the back of the foil, the maximum proton energy was reduced to <5 MeV and the beam was essentially destroyed. The experimental results are consistent with an electrostatic accelerating mechanism that requires an ultrashort scale length at the back of the target.     

Observation of optical transition radiation from electron beams generated by laser plasma accelerator

Laser plasma accelerators (LPAs) have made great progress, achieving electron beam with energy up to 1 GeV from a centimeter scale capillary plasma waveguide. Here, we report the measurement of optical transition radiation (OTR) from the capillary-based LPA electron beams. Transition radiation images, produced by electrons passing through two separate foils (located at 2.3 m and 3.8 m away from the exit of the LPA) were recorded with a high resolution imaging system, respectively. Two magnetic quadrupole lenses were placed right after the capillary to focus and collimate the electron beams. Significant localized spikes appeared in the OTR images when the electron beam was focused by the magnetic quadrupole lenses, indicating the coherence of the radiation and the existence of ultrashort longitudinal structures inside the electron beam.     

激光等离子体加速器的兴起与发展

激光等离子体加速器是近几十年来在世界范围内兴起的一种新型粒子加速器,它在科学研究和日常生活中都有着广泛的应用前景。文章分别从激光电子加速与激光离子加速两方面介绍了它的基本原理与实验发展历程。作为一个新生事物,它取得许多振奋人心的结果,同时也面临着一系列挑战。文章最后对激光等离子体加速器的发展和应用进行了归纳和展望。     

Cross-focusing of two laser beams in a plasma

Cross-focusing of two copropagating laser beams in a plasma is investigated using paraxial ray theory. If the lasers have a frequency difference equal to the electron plasma frequency, they can drive a large amplitude plasma wave. The ponderomotive force due to the plasma wave forces the plasma electrons outwards thereby generating a parabolic density profile giving rise to cross-focusing. The results show a decrease in threshold for focusing by two orders of magnitude as compared to focusing due to the ponderomotive force of the laser beams.     

Generation of high-quality electron beams from a laser-based advanced accelerator

At Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) we have established a research laboratory for advanced acceleration research based on high-power lasers and plasma technologies. In a primary experiment based on the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) scheme, multi-hundred MeV electron beams of reasonable quality are generated using 20-40 TW, 30 femtosecond laser pulses interacting independently with helium, neon, nitrogen and argon gas jet targets. The laser-plasma interaction conditions are optimized for stabilizing the electron beam generation from each type of gas. The electron beam pointing angle stability and divergence angle as well as the energy spectra from each gas jet are measured and compared.     

Relativistic self-focusing of cosh-Gaussian laser beams in a plasma

In the present paper, we have proposed to exploit an analysis of a self-consistent, steady state, theoretical model, which explains the propagation of cosh-Gaussian laser beams in a plasma. The nonlinearity we have considered is of relativistic type. Using the expression for the dielectric function, we have setup the differential equation for beam-width parameter using the WKB and paraxial approximations. The effect of decentred parameter of the beam on the critical curve and the dependence of the beam-width on the distance of propagation have been specifically considered. The results have been presented in the form of graphs and discussed.     

Airy beams from a microchip laser

It is theoretically shown that an end-pumped microchip laser formed by a thin laser crystal with plane-plane but slightly tilted facets can emit, under appropriate pumping conditions and near a crystal edge, a truncated self-accelerating Airy output beam.     

激光等离子体尾波加速器的发展和展望

超强激光在气体等离子体中传输时可以激发出大振幅的电子等离子体尾波。激光等离子体尾波加速器是利用该尾波对带电粒子（特别是电子和正电子）进行加速的一种新型装置。由于其加速梯度相较于现有的常规加速器可以提升1000倍,为建造超紧凑型的加速器和辐射源奠定了基础,也为将来建造基于等离子体的超高能正负电子对撞机和自由电子激光装置提供了可能。对该新型加速器的原理、特点、发展历程,尤其是近十年来的主要进展和未来发展趋势及面临的主要挑战进行简要梳理和介绍。     

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)     

fs激光在靶背表面产生的质子束成丝

 介绍了利用3TW/60fs钛宝石超短超强激光与20μm铜薄膜靶相互作用的实验。实验观测到质子束的角分布随激光功率密度有所变化。在较高的功率密度（～1×10¹⁸ W/cm²）时，观测到环状的质子束分布，发散角较大。在较低的激光功率密度（～2×10¹⁷ W/cm²）时，质子束发散角减小，质子束出现成丝现象。质子束的角分布实际上反映了从靶前输运到靶背的超热电子电流横向分布。在输运过程中，由于Weibel不稳定性会使超热电子电流出现空心化并最后破裂成丝。     

fs激光在靶背表面产生的质子束成丝

介绍了利用3TW/60fs钛宝石超短超强激光与20μm铜薄膜靶相互作用的实验。实验观测到质子束的角分布随激光功率密度有所变化。在较高的功率密度（～1×1018 W/cm2）时,观测到环状的质子束分布,发散角较大。在较低的激光功率密度（～2×1017 W/cm2）时,质子束发散角减小,质子束出现成丝现象。质子束的角分布实际上反映了从靶前输运到靶背的超热电子电流横向分布。在输运过程中,由于Weibel不稳定性会使超热电子电流出现空心化并最后破裂成丝。     

Interpreting data from polarized proton beams

The reactions pp → pp and pp → Δ⁺⁺n with polarized beam and/or polarized target are currently under investigation at the Argonne ZGS. We discuss how to interpret various measured quantities in terms of amplitudes whose behavior is familiar (as functions of s, t). For pp total cross sections and elastic scattering, Argonne measurements will yield Im ?₂ (s,t = 0) and the rather complicated combination $\text{2|?}{}_5\text{|}{}^2\text{+}\text{Re}\text{(?}{}_1\text{?}{}_2{}^1\text{? ?}{}_3\text{?}{}_4{}^1\text{)}$, where ?_i (i = 1, … 5) are conventional s-channel helicity amplitudes. The forward direction (t = 0) is of special interest. We find that for both pp → pp and pp → Δ⁺⁺n, polarized beam — polarized target experiments plus the rather general (testable) assumption that amplitudes with the same s-channel helicity flip quantum numbers are proportional, are sufficient to fully determine all non-vanishing amplitudes at t = 0. Numerical estimates of some observables, based on calculations in a specific model, are also given.     

Relativistic filamentation of laser beams in plasma

We describe the results of a numerical code which models the relativistic selffocussing of high-intensity laser beams in plasmas by the nonlinear relativistic dependence of the optical constants on laser intensity. The plasma dynamics of 10¹³ W Nd glass lasers of 30 m initial beam diameter in nearly cut-off density plasmas is followed for a few picoseconds interaction time and 25 m depth into the plasma. Rapid relativistic selffocussing down to a beam diameter of one micron in a distance of the order of the original beam diameter is observed, as well as the production of GeV ions moving against the laser light.     

Self-focusing of laser beams in a plasma by ponderomotive forces

Self-focusing of a laser beam in a plasma is treated in terms of the ponderomotive acceleration due to the gradient of the light intensity. The focusing of radiation within the first minima of diffraction sets a lower limit to the laser power which is of the order of 1 MW for the usual lasers if cut-off density and a plasma temperature of about 10 eV are assumed.     

激光等离子体相互作用中的两级质子加速（英文）北大核心CSCD

研究了激光辐射压驱动的两级质子加速的相关问题。当超短超强激光脉冲与处在背景等离子体前方的薄固体平靶相互作用时,在固体靶后部形成一个电子层-离子层组成的双层结构。在激光的不断推进下,双层结构在背景等离子体里以一定速度传播,可以看成运动在背景等离子体中的电场。这样,在背景等离子体中的质子被这个运动电场捕获并能加速到很高的能量。通过二维PIC模拟方法和理论分析研究了质子加速的相关问题。研究结果表明,被加速质子的最大能量达到20GeV。