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Horný V, Krůs M, Yan W, Fülöp T. Attosecond betatron radiation pulse train. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15074. [PMID: 32934289 PMCID: PMC7493897 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72053-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
High-intensity X-ray sources are essential diagnostic tools for science, technology and medicine. Such X-ray sources can be produced in laser-plasma accelerators, where electrons emit short-wavelength radiation due to their betatron oscillations in the plasma wake of a laser pulse. Contemporary available betatron radiation X-ray sources can deliver a collimated X-ray pulse of duration on the order of several femtoseconds from a source size of the order of several micrometres. In this paper we demonstrate, through particle-in-cell simulations, that the temporal resolution of such a source can be enhanced by an order of magnitude by a spatial modulation of the emitting relativistic electron bunch. The modulation is achieved by the interaction of the that electron bunch with a co-propagating laser beam which results in the generation of a train of equidistant sub-femtosecond X-ray pulses. The distance between the single pulses of a train is tuned by the wavelength of the modulation laser pulse. The modelled experimental setup is achievable with current technologies. Potential applications include stroboscopic sampling of ultrafast fundamental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Horný
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden. .,Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Za Slovankou 1782/3, 182 00, Praha 8, Czech Republic.
| | - Miroslav Krůs
- Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Za Slovankou 1782/3, 182 00, Praha 8, Czech Republic
| | - Wenchao Yan
- Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, ELI BEAMLINES, Na Slovance 1999/2, 182 21, Praha 8, Czech Republic.,Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Tünde Fülöp
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Ma Y, Seipt D, Hussein AE, Hakimi S, Beier NF, Hansen SB, Hinojosa J, Maksimchuk A, Nees J, Krushelnick K, Thomas AGR, Dollar F. Polarization-Dependent Self-Injection by Above Threshold Ionization Heating in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:114801. [PMID: 32242688 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.114801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report on the experimental observation of a decreased self-injection threshold by using laser pulses with circular polarization in laser wakefield acceleration experiments in a nonpreformed plasma, compared to the usually employed linear polarization. A significantly higher electron beam charge was also observed for circular polarization compared to linear polarization over a wide range of parameters. Theoretical analysis and quasi-3D particle-in-cell simulations reveal that the self-injection and hence the laser wakefield acceleration is polarization dependent and indicate a different injection mechanism for circularly polarized laser pulses, originating from larger momentum gain by electrons during above threshold ionization. This enables electrons to meet the trapping condition more easily, and the resulting higher plasma temperature was confirmed via spectroscopy of the XUV plasma emission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Ma
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - D Seipt
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - A E Hussein
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - S Hakimi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - N F Beier
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - S B Hansen
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA
| | - J Hinojosa
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - A Maksimchuk
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - J Nees
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - K Krushelnick
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - A G R Thomas
- Gérard Mourou Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - F Dollar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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4
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Hussein AE, Senabulya N, Ma Y, Streeter MJV, Kettle B, Dann SJD, Albert F, Bourgeois N, Cipiccia S, Cole JM, Finlay O, Gerstmayr E, González IG, Higginbotham A, Jaroszynski DA, Falk K, Krushelnick K, Lemos N, Lopes NC, Lumsdon C, Lundh O, Mangles SPD, Najmudin Z, Rajeev PP, Schlepütz CM, Shahzad M, Smid M, Spesyvtsev R, Symes DR, Vieux G, Willingale L, Wood JC, Shahani AJ, Thomas AGR. Laser-wakefield accelerators for high-resolution X-ray imaging of complex microstructures. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3249. [PMID: 30824838 PMCID: PMC6397215 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39845-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-wakefield accelerators (LWFAs) are high acceleration-gradient plasma-based particle accelerators capable of producing ultra-relativistic electron beams. Within the strong focusing fields of the wakefield, accelerated electrons undergo betatron oscillations, emitting a bright pulse of X-rays with a micrometer-scale source size that may be used for imaging applications. Non-destructive X-ray phase contrast imaging and tomography of heterogeneous materials can provide insight into their processing, structure, and performance. To demonstrate the imaging capability of X-rays from an LWFA we have examined an irregular eutectic in the aluminum-silicon (Al-Si) system. The lamellar spacing of the Al-Si eutectic microstructure is on the order of a few micrometers, thus requiring high spatial resolution. We present comparisons between the sharpness and spatial resolution in phase contrast images of this eutectic alloy obtained via X-ray phase contrast imaging at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) synchrotron and X-ray projection microscopy via an LWFA source. An upper bound on the resolving power of 2.7 ± 0.3 μm of the LWFA source in this experiment was measured. These results indicate that betatron X-rays from laser wakefield acceleration can provide an alternative to conventional synchrotron sources for high resolution imaging of eutectics and, more broadly, complex microstructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Hussein
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA.
| | - N Senabulya
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - Y Ma
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA.,Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - M J V Streeter
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - B Kettle
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - S J D Dann
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - F Albert
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA
| | - N Bourgeois
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - S Cipiccia
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Fermi Avenue, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - J M Cole
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - O Finlay
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - E Gerstmayr
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - A Higginbotham
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - D A Jaroszynski
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - K Falk
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.,Institute of Physics of the ASCR, 182 21, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K Krushelnick
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - N Lemos
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA
| | - N C Lopes
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, U.L., Lisboa, 1049-001, Portugal
| | - C Lumsdon
- York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - O Lundh
- Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, S-22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - S P D Mangles
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Z Najmudin
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - P P Rajeev
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - C M Schlepütz
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - M Shahzad
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M Smid
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany.,ELI Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, 182 21, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - R Spesyvtsev
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - D R Symes
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - G Vieux
- The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - L Willingale
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - J C Wood
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - A J Shahani
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA
| | - A G R Thomas
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2099, USA.,Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YB, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, WA4 4AD, UK
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