Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
A. Ferran Pousa, I Agapov, R. Brinkmann, S. Jalas, M. Kirchen, A. Martinez de la Ossa, J. Osterhoff, M. Thevenet, S. A. Antipov, R. W. Assmann, W. P. Leemans, A. R. Maier
Summary: The letter proposes combining bunch decompression and active plasma dechirping to improve the energy profile and stability of beams from laser-plasma accelerators, closing the beam-quality gap to conventional acceleration schemes.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Optics
Andreas Doepp
Summary: Plasma accelerators driven by high-power lasers can produce high-energy electron beams in a smaller scale compared to traditional RF accelerators. However, the performance of these accelerators is limited by laser diffraction. Laser-generated plasma waveguides and controlled electron injection methods can address this issue and demonstrate the potential of novel laser-plasma optics.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
F. M. Foerster, A. Doepp, F. Haberstroh, K. Grafenstein, D. Campbell, Y-Y Chang, S. Corde, J. P. Couperus Cabadag, A. Debus, M. F. Gilljohann, A. F. Habib, T. Heinemann, B. Hidding, A. Irman, F. Irshad, A. Knetsch, O. Kononenko, A. Martinez de la Ossa, A. Nutter, R. Pausch, G. Schilling, A. Schletter, S. Schoebel, U. Schramm, E. Travac, P. Ufer, S. Karsch
Summary: The experimental results demonstrate a plasma wakefield accelerator driven by a laser wakefield accelerator, generating stable and high-quality electron beams in the PWFA stage. Combining the PWFA stage with LWFA can optimize electron beam quality and reduce the influence of fluctuating laser drivers on electron beam stability.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alessandro Curcio, Jon Imanol Apinaniz Aginako, Teresa Cebriano Ramirez, Michael Ehret, Berkahoum Kebladj, Antonia Morabito, Alberto Perez Delgado, Carlos Salgado Lopez, Luca Volpe, Giancarlo Gatti
Summary: This paper discusses the use of the exact solution of the Liouville equation expressed in terms of exponential operators to describe the phase space evolution of particle beams in transport lines. It generalizes this solution for the cases of beam losses induced by apertures and particle beams with large spreads in the momentum space. The applicability of this approach to ion beams produced by high-intensity lasers interacting with critical plasmas is discussed based on theoretical findings and measurements.
Article
Physics, Applied
A. Ahmed, S. Singha, N. K. Neog, T. K. Borthakur
Summary: An experimental study examines the influence of an external longitudinal magnetic field on the characteristics of pulsed plasma stream in an argon medium. The study provides insights into the recombination and diffusion phases of plasma species under the magnetic field. The density profile reveals the transition from dominant recombination phase to diffusional phase, and the decrease in electron temperature and increase in electron excitation temperature explain energy transfer and system equilibrium. The magnetic field also affects ionized argon population transitions and the time-resolved morphology changes of the plasma stream.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Jihoon Kim, Tianhong Wang, Vladimir Khudik, Gennady Shvets
Summary: The interplay between two injection mechanisms of background electrons into an evolving plasma bubble behind an intense laser pulse is described in this study: one caused by overall bubble expansion, and another caused by periodic undulation. These mechanisms occur simultaneously when an intense laser pulse forms a shock-like steepened front inside a plasma. The periodic undulations of the bubble can either inhibit or conspire with electron injection due to bubble expansion. A unique electron injector-expanding phase-controlled undulating bubble (EPUB) is produced by the carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) controlled plasma bubble undulation induced by the self-steepening laser pulse. The longitudinal structure of the electron bunch injected by the EPUB can be controlled by laser polarization and power, resulting in high-charge, high-current electron beams with ultra-short temporal structure. The generation of high-energy betatron radiation with polarization- and CEP-controlled energy spectrum and angular distribution is considered a promising application of EPUB-produced beams.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
L. Martin, J. Benlliure, D. Cortina-Gil, A. Haruna, C. Ruiz
Summary: This paper presents the validation of a compact laser-driven X-ray microfocus source for high-resolution radiography imaging. The novel device offers improved stability and high-contrast and resolution imaging capabilities, built at the Laser Laboratory for Acceleration and Applications at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Comparison with other compact microfocus X-ray sources is discussed.
PHYSICA MEDICA-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Optics
M. Stumpf, M. Melchger, S. Montag, G. Pretzler
Summary: The optical setup allows precise ionization inside a plasma to generate controlled spots of high electron density, suitable for applications such as Trojan Horse Injection. Adjustment of beam size, pulse duration, and pulse energy enables the desired ionization state and volume to be reached. Ionization simulations accurately predict the ionization spot, validated by experimental measurements of electron generation during laser-gas interaction.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Ming Zeng, Keita Seto
Summary: This model examines the betatron oscillation and radiation reaction effects on an electron in a plasma wakefield accelerator, demonstrating good agreement between theoretical and numerical solutions. The discussion also includes the regime where quantum radiation becomes significant, highlighting the importance of this model for designing future plasma-based super accelerators or colliders.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Carlos Salgado-Lopez, Jon Imanol Apinaniz, Jose Luis Henares, Jose Antonio Perez-Hernandez, Diego de Luis, Luca Volpe, Giancarlo Gatti
Summary: This study presents an angle-resolved Thomson parabola spectrometer for laser-accelerated ion beams, capable of distinguishing between different ionic species based on charge-to-mass ratio. The spectrometer offers high repetition rate compatibility and adjustable angular resolving power, enhancing flexibility and capabilities of ion detection through magnetic field characterization and trajectory calculation.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
S. Ferguson, P. Martin, H. Ahmed, E. Aktan, M. Alanazi, M. Cerchez, D. Doria, J. S. Green, B. Greenwood, B. Odlozilik, O. Willi, M. Borghesi, S. Kar
Summary: Helical coil accelerators are a new development in laser-driven ion production, which can deliver ultra-low divergence and quasi-monoenergetic beams by acting on the wide divergence and broadband energy spectrum of laser-accelerated protons. The modularity of helical coil accelerators also allows for multi-staging, providing attractive prospects. Experimental data and particle tracing simulations highlight the importance of precise beam injection control. Efficient post-acceleration of protons was achieved at an optimal time delay, resulting in an energy gain of up to approximately 16 MeV, with an average rate of approximately 1 GeV m(-1).
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Optics
C. Emma, J. Van Tilborg, R. Assmann, S. Barber, A. Cianchi, S. Corde, M. E. Couprie, R. D'Arcy, M. Ferrario, A. F. Habib, B. Hidding, M. J. Hogan, C. B. Schroeder, A. Marinelli, M. Labat, R. Li, J. Liu, A. Loulergue, J. Osterhoff, A. R. Maier, B. W. J. McNeil, W. Wang
Summary: Plasma-based accelerators have ultra-high accelerating gradients and can inject inside micrometer-scale accelerating wakefield buckets, providing great potential for driving a new generation of free-electron lasers. Several groups worldwide are pursuing these novel light sources, with varying methodologies and technologies.
HIGH POWER LASER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sahar Barzegar, Ali Reza Niknam
Summary: The proposed scheme for injection and acceleration of electrons in wakefield accelerators is based on the interaction between a laser pulse and an electron beam, leading to stronger wakefield generation and higher energy gain in the bubble regime. A interpretive model is suggested to predict practical ranges of electron beam and laser pulse parameters, while the effect of altering the initial electron beam position on self-trapping of plasma electrons is also studied. The injection of a 280 pC electron beam in the decelerating phase of a 75 TW laser driven wakefield results in the production of an ultra-short (25 fs), high charge (340 pC), 1 GeV electron bunch.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Y. Zhao, R. Lehe, A. Myers, M. Thevenet, A. Huebl, C. B. Schroeder, J-L Vay
Summary: This paper extends the theory of Coulomb collisions with background plasma to consider collisions with plasma electrons with relativistic motion. The theory is verified by particle-in-cell simulations and shows that the contribution of electrons can be significant in certain regimes depending on plasma electron density and bulk velocity.
PHYSICS OF PLASMAS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Yen-Yu Chang, Xiantao Cheng, Andrea Hannasch, Maxwell LaBerge, Joseph M. Shaw, Kathleen Weichman, James Welch, Aaron C. Bernstein, Watson Henderson, Rafal Zgadzaj, Michael C. Downer
Summary: Our study demonstrates the visualization of plasma bubbles driven by high-power laser pulses and the observation of optical changes caused by the acceleration of electron charges. The results indicate that different parts of the observed signals are related to high-energy electrons and trailing lower energy electrons inside the bubble.
PHYSICS OF PLASMAS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Driss Oumbarek Espinos, Amin Ghaith, Alexandre Loulergue, Thomas Andre, Charles Kitegi, Mourad Sebdaoui, Fabrice Marteau, Frederic Blache, Mathieu Valleau, Marie Labat, Alain Lestrade, Eleonore Roussel, Cedric Thaury, Sebastien Corde, Guillaume Lambert, Olena Kononenko, Jean-Philippe Goddet, Amar Tafzi, Igor Andriyash, Victor Malka, Marie-Emmanuelle Couprie
PLASMA PHYSICS AND CONTROLLED FUSION
(2020)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
T. Tajima, V Malka
PLASMA PHYSICS AND CONTROLLED FUSION
(2020)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Y. Wan, I. A. Andriyash, C. H. Pai, J. F. Hua, C. J. Zhang, F. Li, Y. P. Wu, Z. Nie, W. B. Mori, W. Lu, V Malka, C. Joshi
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2020)
Article
Optics
Kosta Oubrerie, Igor A. Andriyash, Ronan Lahaye, Slava Smartsev, Victor Malka, Cedric Thaury
Summary: An axiparabola is a reflective aspherical optics that focuses a light beam into an extended focal line. Its properties can be adjusted through proper design to control light intensity and group velocity profiles. It has various applications in laser-plasma acceleration.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Yang Wan, Omri Seemann, Sheroy Tata, Igor A. Andriyash, Slava Smartsev, Eyal Kroupp, Victor Malka
Summary: Plasma waves play a significant role in various phenomena and can be generated in different ways. In plasma-based particle accelerators, strong lasers or relativistic particle beams can launch plasma waves until they reach their breaking point. Real-time experimental visualization of laser-driven nonlinear relativistic plasma waves can be achieved through electron deflectometry, providing detailed characterization of the waves.
Article
Physics, Nuclear
Dan Levy, Igor A. Andriyash, Stefan Haessler, Jaismeen Kaur, Marie Ouille, Alessandro Flacco, Eyal Kroupp, Victor Malka, Rodrigo Lopez-Martens
Summary: This study demonstrates the generation of high-energy proton beams using femtosecond laser technology under controlled plasma conditions. Detailed experimental and numerical parameter studies were conducted, showing that high repetition rate femtosecond laser technology could be utilized to produce few-MeV proton beams for applications.
PHYSICAL REVIEW ACCELERATORS AND BEAMS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
A. Golovanov, Yu. Kostyukov, A. Pukhov, V. Malka
Summary: We present a self-consistent theory of strongly nonlinear plasma wakefield (bubble or blowout regime of the wakefield) based on the energy conservation approach. Such wakefields are excited in plasmas by intense laser or particle beam drivers and are characterized by the expulsion of plasma electrons from the propagation axis of the driver. As a result, a spherical cavity devoid of electrons (called a bubble) and surrounded by a thin sheath made of expelled electrons is formed behind the driver. In contrast to the the energy conservation law, does not require any external fitting parameters, and describes the bubble structure and the electromagnetic field it contains with much higher accuracy in a wide range of parameters. The obtained results are verified by 3D particle-in-cell simulations.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Yang Wan, Sheroy Tata, Omri Seemann, Eitan Y. Y. Levine, Slava Smartsev, Eyal Kroupp, Victor Malka
Summary: The development of plasma-based accelerators has led to the generation of high brightness electron bunches with femtosecond duration, micrometer size, and ultralow emittance. However, accurately characterizing such ultra-short and high charge density bunches remains challenging. In this study, a novel technique called femtosecond ultrarelativistic electron microscopy is proposed to address this challenge. By utilizing an electron bunch from another laser-plasma accelerator as a probe, this method enables capturing the ultra-intense space-charge fields of the investigated bunch and reconstructing the charge distribution with high spatiotemporal resolution in a single shot. Experimental results demonstrate the capability of this technique in studying the shape and asymmetry of laser-plasma accelerated electron beams.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Celine S. Hue, Yang Wan, Eitan Y. Levine, Victor Malka
Summary: Density downramp injection is an elegant and efficient method for generating high-quality electron beams in laser wakefield accelerators. Recent studies have shown the possibility of generating electron beams with charges ranging from tens to hundreds of picocoulombs while maintaining good beam quality. This comprehensive numerical study demonstrates that the current profile of the injected electron beam is directly correlated with the density transition parameters, which further affects the beam charge and energy evolution. Large-scale quasi-three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations support all the results. We anticipate that the electron beams with tunable beam properties generated using this approach will be suitable for a wide range of applications.
MATTER AND RADIATION AT EXTREMES
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Celine Hue, Anton Golovanov, Sheroy Tata, Sebastien Corde, Victor Malka
Summary: This study investigates the stability of plasma wake waves and the properties of density-downramp injection in an electron-driven plasma accelerator. The results show that the current of the injected bunch primarily depends on a parameter which combines both the properties of the driver and the plasma density.
JOURNAL OF PLASMA PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Omri Seemann, Yang Wan, Sheroy Tata, Eyal Kroupp, Victor Malka
Summary: The high intensities reached by powerful lasers today allow us to explore the interaction with matter in the relativistic regime, pushing the frontiers of plasma physics. Refractive-plasma optics are being used in laser plasma accelerators, but their use for spatial phase control of the laser beam has not been successful due to manufacturing complications. However, this concept has now been successfully demonstrated, enabling phase manipulation near the focus position, where the intensity is already relativistic, and offering flexible control for high-intensity high-density interactions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Camilla Willim, Jorge Vieira, Victor Malka, Luis O. Silva
Summary: An efficient approach utilizing a high-intensity twisted laser of moderate energy is proposed to generate collimated proton bunches with multi-10 MeV energies from a double-layer hydrogen target. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show the formation of a highly collimated and energetic proton bunch, with a divergence 6.5 times smaller compared to a Gaussian laser with the same energy. Theoretical modeling supports the consistent acceleration of high-energetic proton bunches with low divergence under experimentally feasible conditions for twisted drivers.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Jaismeen Kaur, Marie Ouille, Dan Levy, Louis Daniault, Axel Robbes, Neil Zaim, Alessandro Flacco, Eyal Kroupp, Victor Malka, Stefan Haessler, Rodrigo Lopez-Martens
Summary: We report on a unique high repetition rate relativistic laser-solid-plasma interaction platform that allows simultaneous measurements of emitted high-order harmonics, relativistic electrons, and low divergence proton beams. This versatile setup enables detailed parametric studies of particle and radiation beam properties under different interaction conditions, contributing to a further understanding of complex dynamics in laser-plasma interactions.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
M. G. Lobok, I. A. Andriyash, O. E. Vais, V Malka, V. Yu Bychenkov
Summary: The study demonstrates that in a dense gas plasma, a short laser pulse propagates in a relativistic self-trapping mode, leading to the generation of high-energy X-rays with 0.1-1 MeV photon energies, low divergence, and high brightness.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Prashant Kumar Singh, Vishwa Bandhu Pathak, Jung Hun Shin, Il Woo Choi, Kazuhisa Nakajima, Seong Ku Lee, Jae Hee Sung, Hwang Woon Lee, Yong Joo Rhee, Constantin Aniculaesei, Chul Min Kim, Ki Hong Pae, Myung Hoon Cho, Calin Hojbota, Seong Geun Lee, Florian Mollica, Victor Malka, Chang-Mo Ryu, Hyung Taek Kim, Chang Hee Nam
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
