Mechanisms to control laser-plasma coupling in laser wakefield electron acceleration
- Dickson, L. T.
- Underwood, C. I.D.
- Filippi, F.
- Shalloo, R. J.
- Svensson, J. Björklund
- Guénot, D.
- Svendsen, K.
- Moulanier, I.
- Dufrénoy, S. Dobosz
- Murphy, C. D.
- Lopes, N. C.
- Rajeev, P. P.
- Najmudin, Z.
- Cantono, G.
- Persson, A.
- Lundh, O.
- Maynard, G.
- Streeter, M. J.V.
- Cros, B.
DOIAbstract
Experimental results, supported by precise modeling, demonstrate optimization of a plasma-based injector with intermediate laser pulse energy (<1 J), corresponding to a normalized vector potential a0=2.15, using ionization injection in a tailored plasma density profile. An increase in electron bunch quality and energy is achieved experimentally with the extension of the density downramp at the plasma exit. Optimization of the focal position of the laser pulse in the tailored plasma density profile is shown to efficiently reduce electron bunch angular deviation, leading to a better alignment of the electron bunch with the laser axis. Single peak electron spectra are produced in a previously unexplored regime by combining an early focal posit...
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