GeV-scale electron acceleration in a gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide

Authors

• Stefan Karsh, Max-Planck-Institut für QuantenoptikFollow
• J. Osterhoff, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik
• A. Popp, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik
• T.P. Rowlands-Ree, University of Oxford
• Zs. Major, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik
• Matthias Fuchs, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
• B. Marx, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik
• R. Horlein, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik
• K. Schmid, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik
• Laszlo Veisz, Max-Planck-Institut für QuantenoptikFollow
• S. Becker, Sektion Physik der Ludwig-Maximilians- Universitat Munchen
• U. Schramm, Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
• B. Hidding, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf
• G. Pretzler, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf
• D. Habs, Sektion Physik der Ludwig-Maximilians- Universitat Munchen
• F. Gruner, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik
• F. Krausz, Sektion Physik der Ludwig-Maximilians- Universitat Munchen
• Simon M. Hooker, University of OxfordFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2007

Citation

New Journal of Physics 9 (2007) 415.

Comments

Copyright 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. Used by Permission.

Abstract

We report experimental results on laser-driven electron acceleration with low divergence. the electron beam was generated by focusing 750 mJ, 42 fs laser pulses into a gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide at electron densities in the range between 10¹⁸ and 10¹⁹ cm^-3/ Quasi-monoenergentic electron bunches with energies as high as 500 MeV have been detected, with features reaching up to 1 GeV, albeit with large shot-to-shot fluctuations. A more stable regime with higher bunch charge (20-45 pC) and less energy (200-300 MeV) could also be observed. The beam divergence and the pointing stability are around or below 1 mrad and 8 mrad, respectively. These findings are consistent with self-injection of electrons into a breaking plasma wave.