1
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Curcio A, Cianchi A, Costa G, Del Dotto A, Demurtas F, Ferrario M, Frías MDR, Galletti M, Pérez-Hernández JA, Gatti G. Reconstruction of lateral coherence and 2D emittance in plasma betatron X-ray sources. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1719. [PMID: 38243043 PMCID: PMC10799011 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52231-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
X-ray sources have a strong social impact, being implemented for biomedical research, material and environmental sciences. Nowadays, compact and accessible sources are made using lasers. We report evidence of nontrivial spectral-angular correlations in a laser-driven betatron X-ray source. Furthermore, by angularly-resolved spectral measurements, we detect the signature of spatial phase modulations by the electron trajectories. This allows the lateral coherence function to be retrieved, leading to the evaluation of the coherence area of the source, determining its brightness. Finally, the proposed methodology allows the unprecedented reconstruction of the size of the X-ray source and the electron beam emittance in the two main emission planes in a single shot. This information will be of fundamental interest for user applications of new radiation sources.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandro Cianchi
- Department of Physics, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- INFN-Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- NAST Centre, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Gemma Costa
- INFN-LNF, via Enrico Fermi 40, 00044, Frascati, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Maria Dolores Rodríguez Frías
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5, Parque Científico, C/ Adaja 8, 37185, Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
- Dpto. Física y Matemáticas, Universidad de Alcalá, Plaza de San Diego, s/n Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Galletti
- Department of Physics, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- INFN-Tor Vergata, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
- NAST Centre, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - José Antonio Pérez-Hernández
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5, Parque Científico, C/ Adaja 8, 37185, Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Giancarlo Gatti
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5, Parque Científico, C/ Adaja 8, 37185, Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
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2
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Ong JF, Berceanu AC, Grigoriadis A, Andrianaki G, Dimitriou V, Tatarakis M, Papadogiannis NA, Benis EP. Non-linear QED approach for betatron radiation in a laser wakefield accelerator. Sci Rep 2024; 14:605. [PMID: 38182609 PMCID: PMC10770394 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50030-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Laser plasma-based accelerators provide an excellent source of collimated, bright, and adequately coherent betatron-type x-ray pulses with potential applications in science and industry. So far the laser plasma-based betatron radiation has been described within the concept of classical Liénard-Wiechert potentials incorporated in particle-in-cell simulations, a computing power-demanding approach, especially for the case of multi-petawatt lasers. In this work, we describe the laser plasma-based generation of betatron radiation at the most fundamental level of quantum mechanics. In our approach, photon emission from the relativistic electrons in the plasma bubble is described within a nonlinear quantum electrodynamics (QED) framework. The reported QED-based betatron radiation results are in excellent agreement with similar results using Liénard-Wiechert potentials, as well as in very good agreement with betatron radiation measurements, obtained with multi-10-TW lasers interacting with He and multielectron N[Formula: see text] gas targets. Furthermore, our QED approach results in a dramatic reduction of the computational runtime demands, making it a favorable tool for designing betatron radiation experiments, especially in multi-petawatt laser facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Ong
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), "Horia Hulubei" National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, RO, Romania.
| | - A C Berceanu
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), "Horia Hulubei" National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, RO, Romania
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
| | - A Grigoriadis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
| | - G Andrianaki
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- School of Production Engineering and Management, Technical University of Crete, 73100, Chania, Greece
| | - V Dimitriou
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Physical Acoustics and Optoacoustics Laboratory, Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimnon, Greece
| | - M Tatarakis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 73133, Chania, Greece
| | - N A Papadogiannis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Physical Acoustics and Optoacoustics Laboratory, Department of Music Technology and Acoustics, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimnon, Greece
| | - E P Benis
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers, University Research and Innovation Centre, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 74100, Rethimno, Crete, Greece
- Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
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3
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Dorchies F, Ta Phuoc K, Lecherbourg L. Nonequilibrium warm dense matter investigated with laser-plasma-based XANES down to the femtosecond. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2023; 10:054301. [PMID: 37720412 PMCID: PMC10505070 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The use of laser-plasma-based x-ray sources is discussed, with a view to carrying out time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements, down to the femtosecond timescale. A review of recent experiments performed by our team is presented. They concern the study of the nonequilibrium transition of metals from solid to the warm dense regime, which imposes specific constraints (the sample being destroyed after each shot). Particular attention is paid to the description of experimental devices and methodologies. Two main types of x-ray sources are compared, respectively, based on the emission of a hot plasma, and on the betatron radiation from relativistic electrons accelerated by laser.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Dorchies
- Université, Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, CELIA, UMR 5107, F-33400 Talence, France
| | - K. Ta Phuoc
- LOA, ENSTA, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, UMR 7639, F-91761 Palaiseau, France
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4
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Fourmaux S, Lassonde P, Mironov SY, Hallin E, Légaré F, Maclean S, Khazanov EA, Mourou G, Kieffer JC. Laser wakefield acceleration based x ray source using 225-TW and 13-fs laser pulses produced by thin film compression. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:3163-3166. [PMID: 35776576 DOI: 10.1364/ol.459199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We show that 13-fs laser pulses associated with 225 TW of peak power can be used to produce laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) and generate synchrotron radiation. To achieve this, 130-TW high-power laser pulses (3.2 J, 24 fs) are efficiently compressed down to 13 fs with the thin film compression (TFC) technique using large chirped mirrors after propagation and spectral broadening through a 1-mm-thick fused silica plate. We show that the compressed 13-fs laser pulse can be properly focused even if it induces a 10% degradation of the Strehl ratio. We demonstrate the usability of such a laser beam. We observe both an increase of the electron energy and of the betatron radiation critical energy when the pulse duration is reduced to 13 fs compared with the 24-fs case.
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5
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Curcio A, Gatti G. Time-domain study of the synchrotron radiation emitted from electron beams in plasma focusing channels. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:025201. [PMID: 35291175 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.025201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper sheds light on the time structure of betatron radiation, emitted by electrons that undergo betatron oscillations as they accelerate under the action of plasma wakefields. It is a common practice to assume that the betatron pulses are as short as the electron bunch length, however we show that this is not a general rule. Indeed, the betatron pulse length is affected by the betatron motion, which stretches and modulates the radiation pulses already at the source level. Propagation in a vacuum, therefore, can greatly lengthen the betatron pulses by orders of magnitude. In the wake of the above, the coherent emission of betatron radiation is studied. Coherent betatron radiation has been found to propagate in an underdense region created by ponderomotive forces, thus not suppressed by the overdense plasma absorption. This could be observed experimentally, revealing information on the acceleration process and on key beam parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Curcio
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5. Parque Científico. C/ Adaja, 8. 37185 Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
| | - G Gatti
- Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Edificio M5. Parque Científico. C/ Adaja, 8. 37185 Villamayor, Salamanca, Spain
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6
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Lobok MG, Andriyash IA, Vais OE, Malka V, Bychenkov VY. Bright synchrotron radiation from relativistic self-trapping of a short laser pulse in near-critical density plasma. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:L053201. [PMID: 34942843 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.l053201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In a dense gas plasma a short laser pulse propagates in a relativistic self-trapping mode, which enables the effective conversion of laser energy to the accelerated electrons. This regime sustains effective loading which maximizes the total charge of the accelerating electrons, that provides a large amount of betatron radiation. The three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate how such a regime triggers x-ray generation with 0.1-1 MeV photon energies, low divergence, and high brightness. It is shown that a 135-TW laser can be used to produce 3×10^{10} photons of >10 keV energy and a 1.2-PW laser makes it possible generating about 10^{12} photons in the same energy range. The laser-to-gamma energy conversion efficiency is up to 10^{-4} for the high-energy photons, ∼100 keV, while the conversion efficiency to the entire keV-range x rays is estimated to be a few tenths of a percent.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Lobok
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Center for Fundamental and Applied Research, Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), Moscow 127055, Russia
| | - I A Andriyash
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, ENSTA-CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, UMR7639, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - O E Vais
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Center for Fundamental and Applied Research, Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), Moscow 127055, Russia
| | - V Malka
- Department of Physics and Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - V Yu Bychenkov
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Center for Fundamental and Applied Research, Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), Moscow 127055, Russia
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7
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Zhang G, Chen M, Yang X, Liu F, Weng S, Ma Y, Zou D, Yu T, Shao F, Sheng Z. Betatron radiation polarization control by using an off-axis ionization injection in a laser wakefield acceleration. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:29927-29936. [PMID: 33114881 DOI: 10.1364/oe.404723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tunable X-ray sources from a laser-driven wakefield have wide applications. However, due to the difficulty of electron dynamics control, currently the tunability of laser wakefield-based X-ray sources is still difficult. By using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we propose a scheme to realize controllable electron dynamics and X-ray radiation. In the scheme, a long wavelength drive pulse excites a plasma wake and an off-axis laser pulse with a short wavelength co-propagates with the drive pulse and ionizes the K-shell electrons of the background high-Z gas. The electrons can be injected in the wakefield with controllable transverse positions and residual momenta. These injected electrons experience controllable oscillations in the wake, leading to tunable radiations both in intensity and polarization.
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8
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Fourmaux S, Hallin E, Krol A, Bourgade JL, Kieffer JC. X-ray phase contrast imaging of spherical capsules. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:13978-13990. [PMID: 32403862 DOI: 10.1364/oe.386618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate that a laser-based synchrotron X-ray source can be used to image and characterize in a single laser shot spherical capsules similar to ICF targets. Thus, we establish this source potential for real-time ultrafast imaging of the ICF laser driver interaction with the target. To produce the X-ray beam we used a 160 TW high power laser system with 3.2 J and 20 fs incident on a supersonic gas jet target at 2.5 Hz repetition rate. We produced 2.7 × 109 photons/0.1% BW/sr/shot at 10 keV with a critical energy Ec = 15.1 keV. In our experimental conditions the spatial resolution was 4.3 μm in the object plane. We show that it is feasible to image the capsule structure and experimentally retrieve the phase information.
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9
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Fourmaux S, Hallin E, Chaulagain U, Weber S, Kieffer JC. Laser-based synchrotron X-ray radiation experimental scaling. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:3147-3158. [PMID: 32121988 DOI: 10.1364/oe.383818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We review the results obtained in several experimental campaigns with the INRS high-power laser system and determine the X-ray emission scaling from synchrotron radiation produced during laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) of electrons. The physical processes affecting the generation of intense and stable X-ray beams during the propagation phase of the high-intensity ultrashort pulse in the gas jet target are discussed. We successfully produced stable propagation in the gas jet target of a relativistic laser pulse through self-guiding on length larger than the dephasing and depletion lengths, generating very intense beams of hard X-rays with up to 200 TW on target. The experimental scaling law obtained for the photon yield in the 10-40 keV range is presented and the level of X-ray emission at the 1 PW laser peak power level, now available at several laser facilities, is estimated.
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10
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Ultrafast Imaging of Laser Driven Shock Waves using Betatron X-rays from a Laser Wakefield Accelerator. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11010. [PMID: 30030516 PMCID: PMC6054639 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29347-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Betatron radiation from laser wakefield accelerators is an ultrashort pulsed source of hard, synchrotron-like x-ray radiation. It emanates from a centimetre scale plasma accelerator producing GeV level electron beams. In recent years betatron radiation has been developed as a unique source capable of producing high resolution x-ray images in compact geometries. However, until now, the short pulse nature of this radiation has not been exploited. This report details the first experiment to utilize betatron radiation to image a rapidly evolving phenomenon by using it to radiograph a laser driven shock wave in a silicon target. The spatial resolution of the image is comparable to what has been achieved in similar experiments at conventional synchrotron light sources. The intrinsic temporal resolution of betatron radiation is below 100 fs, indicating that significantly faster processes could be probed in future without compromising spatial resolution. Quantitative measurements of the shock velocity and material density were made from the radiographs recorded during shock compression and were consistent with the established shock response of silicon, as determined with traditional velocimetry approaches. This suggests that future compact betatron imaging beamlines could be useful in the imaging and diagnosis of high-energy-density physics experiments.
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11
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Döpp A, Mahieu B, Lifschitz A, Thaury C, Doche A, Guillaume E, Grittani G, Lundh O, Hansson M, Gautier J, Kozlova M, Goddet JP, Rousseau P, Tafzi A, Malka V, Rousse A, Corde S, Ta Phuoc K. Stable femtosecond X-rays with tunable polarization from a laser-driven accelerator. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2017; 6:e17086. [PMID: 30167214 PMCID: PMC6062047 DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2017.86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Technology based on high-peak-power lasers has the potential to provide compact and intense radiation sources for a wide range of innovative applications. In particular, electrons that are accelerated in the wakefield of an intense laser pulse oscillate around the propagation axis and emit X-rays. This betatron source, which essentially reproduces the principle of a synchrotron at the millimeter scale, provides bright radiation with femtosecond duration and high spatial coherence. However, despite its unique features, the usability of the betatron source has been constrained by its poor control and stability. In this article, we demonstrate the reliable production of X-ray beams with tunable polarization. Using ionization-induced injection in a gas mixture, the orbits of the relativistic electrons emitting the radiation are reproducible and controlled. We observe that both the signal and beam profile fluctuations are significantly reduced and that the beam pointing varies by less than a tenth of the beam divergence. The polarization ratio reaches 80%, and the polarization axis can easily be rotated. We anticipate a broad impact of the source, as its unprecedented performance opens the way for new applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Döpp
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
- Present address: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, Am Coulombwall 1, Garching 85748, Germany
| | - Benoit Mahieu
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Agustin Lifschitz
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Cedric Thaury
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Antoine Doche
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Emilien Guillaume
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Gabriele Grittani
- ELI Beamlines Project, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Olle Lundh
- Department of Physics, Lund University, PO Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Martin Hansson
- Department of Physics, Lund University, PO Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Julien Gautier
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Michaela Kozlova
- ELI Beamlines Project, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - Jean Philippe Goddet
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Pascal Rousseau
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Amar Tafzi
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Victor Malka
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
- Department of Physics and Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Antoine Rousse
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Sebastien Corde
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
| | - Kim Ta Phuoc
- Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
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12
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Mo MZ, Chen Z, Fourmaux S, Saraf A, Kerr S, Otani K, Masoud R, Kieffer JC, Tsui Y, Ng A, Fedosejevs R. Measurements of ionization states in warm dense aluminum with betatron radiation. Phys Rev E 2017; 95:053208. [PMID: 28618605 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.95.053208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Time-resolved measurements of the ionization states of warm dense aluminum via K-shell absorption spectroscopy are demonstrated using betatron radiation generated from laser wakefield acceleration as a probe. The warm dense aluminum is generated by irradiating a free-standing nanofoil with a femtosecond optical laser pulse and was heated to an electron temperature of ∼20-25 eV at a close-to-solid mass density. Absorption dips in the transmitted x-ray spectrum due to the Al^{4+} and Al^{5+} ions are clearly seen during the experiments. The measured absorption spectra are compared to simulations with various ionization potential depression models, including the commonly used Stewart-Pyatt model and an alternative modified Ecker-Kröll model. The observed absorption spectra are in approximate agreement with these models, though indicating a slightly higher state of ionization and closer agreement for simulations with the modified Ecker-Kröll model.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Z Mo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2V4
| | - Z Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2V4
| | - S Fourmaux
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Quebéc, Canada, J3X 1S2
| | - A Saraf
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Quebéc, Canada, J3X 1S2
| | - S Kerr
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2V4
| | - K Otani
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Quebéc, Canada, J3X 1S2
| | - R Masoud
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2V4
| | - J-C Kieffer
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Quebéc, Canada, J3X 1S2
| | - Y Tsui
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2V4
| | - A Ng
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z1
| | - R Fedosejevs
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2V4
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13
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Ju LB, Zhou CT, Huang TW, Jiang K, Zhang H, Wu SZ, Qiao B, Ruan SC. Production of high-angular-momentum electron beams in laser-plasma interactions. Phys Rev E 2017; 95:053205. [PMID: 28618622 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.95.053205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
It was shown that in the interactions of ultra-intense circularly polarized laser pulse with the near-critical plasmas, the angular momentum can be transferred efficiently from the laser beam to electrons through the resonance acceleration process. The transferred angular momentum increases almost linearly with the acceleration time t_{a} when the electrons are resonantly accelerated by the laser field. In addition, it is shown analytically that the averaged angular momentum of electrons is proportional to the laser amplitude a_{L}, and the total angular momentum of the accelerated electron beam is proportional to the square of the laser amplitude a_{L}^{2} for a fixed parameter of n_{e}/n_{c}a_{L}. These results are verified by three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. This regime provides an efficient and compact alternative for the production of high angular momentum electron beams, which may have many potential applications in condensed-matter spectroscopy, new electron microscopes, and bright x-ray vortex generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L B Ju
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100088, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - C T Zhou
- Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China.,College of New Energy and New Materials, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, People's Republic of China.,HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - T W Huang
- College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - K Jiang
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100088, People's Republic of China
| | - H Zhang
- Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - S Z Wu
- Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - B Qiao
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - S C Ruan
- College of New Energy and New Materials, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, People's Republic of China.,College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
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14
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Huang TW, Robinson APL, Zhou CT, Qiao B, Liu B, Ruan SC, He XT, Norreys PA. Characteristics of betatron radiation from direct-laser-accelerated electrons. Phys Rev E 2016; 93:063203. [PMID: 27415373 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.93.063203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Betatron radiation from direct-laser-accelerated electrons is characterized analytically and numerically. It is shown here that the electron dynamics is strongly dependent on a self-similar parameter S(≡n_{e}/n_{c}a_{0}). Both the electron transverse momentum and energy are proportional to the normalized amplitude of laser field (a_{0}) for a fixed value of S. As a result, the total number of radiated photons scales as a_{0}^{2}/sqrt[S] and the energy conversion efficiency of photons from the accelerated electrons scales as a_{0}^{3}/S. The particle-in-cell simulations agree well with the analytical scalings. It is suggested that a tunable high-energy and high-flux radiation source can be achieved by exploiting this regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- T W Huang
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - A P L Robinson
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C T Zhou
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China.,College of Electronic Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - B Qiao
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - B Liu
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - S C Ruan
- College of Electronic Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People's Republic of China
| | - X T He
- HEDPS, Center for Applied Physics and Technology and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, People's Republic of China
| | - P A Norreys
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.,Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
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15
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A compact tunable polarized X-ray source based on laser-plasma helical undulators. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29101. [PMID: 27377126 PMCID: PMC4932604 DOI: 10.1038/srep29101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser wakefield accelerators have great potential as the basis for next generation compact radiation sources because of their extremely high accelerating gradients. However, X-ray radiation from such devices still lacks tunability, especially of the intensity and polarization distributions. Here we propose a tunable polarized radiation source based on a helical plasma undulator in a plasma channel guided wakefield accelerator. When a laser pulse is initially incident with a skew angle relative to the channel axis, the laser and accelerated electrons experience collective spiral motions, which leads to elliptically polarized synchrotron-like radiation with flexible tunability on radiation intensity, spectra and polarization. We demonstrate that a radiation source with millimeter size and peak brilliance of 2 × 10(19) photons/s/mm(2)/mrad(2)/0.1% bandwidth can be made with moderate laser and electron beam parameters. This brilliance is comparable with third generation synchrotron radiation facilities running at similar photon energies, suggesting that laser plasma based radiation sources are promising for advanced applications.
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16
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Effect of experimental laser imperfections on laser wakefield acceleration and betatron source. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27846. [PMID: 27324915 PMCID: PMC4914997 DOI: 10.1038/srep27846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser pulses in current ultra-short TW systems are far from being ideal Gaussian beams. The influence of the presence of non-Gaussian features of the laser pulse is investigated here from experiments and 3D Particle-in-Cell simulations. Both the experimental intensity distribution and wavefront are used as input in the simulations. It is shown that a quantitative agreement between experimental data and simulations requires to use realistic pulse features. Moreover, some trends found in the experiments, such as the growing of the X-ray signal with the plasma length, can only be retrieved in simulations with realistic pulses. The performances on the electron acceleration and the synchrotron X-ray emission are strongly degraded by these non-Gaussian features, even keeping constant the total laser energy. A drop on the X-ray photon number by one order of magnitude was found. This clearly put forward the limitation of using a Gaussian beam in the simulations.
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17
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Albert F, Pollock BB, Shaw JL, Marsh KA, Ralph JE, Chen YH, Alessi D, Pak A, Clayton CE, Glenzer SH, Joshi C. Angular dependence of betatron x-ray spectra from a laser-wakefield accelerator. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 111:235004. [PMID: 24476282 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.235004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We present the first measurements of the angular dependence of the betatron x-ray spectrum produced by electrons inside the cavity of a laser-wakefield accelerator. Electrons accelerated up to 300 MeV energies produce a beam of broadband, forward-directed betatron x-ray radiation extending up to 80 keV. The angular resolved spectrum from an image plate-based spectrometer with differential filtering provides data in a single laser shot. The simultaneous spectral and spatial x-ray analysis allows for a three-dimensional reconstruction of electron trajectories with micrometer resolution, and we find that the angular dependence of the x-ray spectrum is showing strong evidence of anisotropic electron trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Albert
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore California 94550, USA
| | - B B Pollock
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore California 94550, USA
| | - J L Shaw
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles California 90095, USA
| | - K A Marsh
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles California 90095, USA
| | - J E Ralph
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore California 94550, USA
| | - Y-H Chen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore California 94550, USA
| | - D Alessi
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore California 94550, USA
| | - A Pak
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NIF and Photon Sciences, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore California 94550, USA
| | - C E Clayton
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles California 90095, USA
| | - S H Glenzer
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford California 94309, USA
| | - C Joshi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles California 90095, USA
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18
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Mo MZ, Chen Z, Fourmaux S, Saraf A, Otani K, Kieffer JC, Tsui YY, Ng A, Fedosejevs R. Laser wakefield generated X-ray probe for femtosecond time-resolved measurements of ionization states of warm dense aluminum. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2013; 84:123106. [PMID: 24387419 DOI: 10.1063/1.4842237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a laser wakefield generated X-ray probe to directly measure the temporal evolution of the ionization states in warm dense aluminum by means of absorption spectroscopy. As a promising alternative to the free electron excited X-ray sources, Betatron X-ray radiation, with femtosecond pulse duration, provides a new technique to diagnose femtosecond to picosecond transitions in the atomic structure. The X-ray probe system consists of an adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscope for focusing the Betatron emission to a small probe spot on the sample being measured, and a flat Potassium Acid Phthalate Bragg crystal spectrometer to measure the transmitted X-ray spectrum in the region of the aluminum K-edge absorption lines. An X-ray focal spot size of around 50 μm was achieved after reflection from the platinum-coated 10-cm-long KB microscope mirrors. Shot to shot positioning stability of the Betatron radiation was measured resulting in an rms shot to shot variation in spatial pointing on the sample of 16 μm. The entire probe setup had a spectral resolution of ~1.5 eV, a detection bandwidth of ~24 eV, and an overall photon throughput efficiency of the order of 10(-5). Approximately 10 photons were detected by the X-ray CCD per laser shot within the spectrally resolved detection band. Thus, it is expected that hundreds of shots will be required per absorption spectrum to clearly observe the K-shell absorption features expected from the ionization states of the warm dense aluminum.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Z Mo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada
| | - Z Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada
| | - S Fourmaux
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - A Saraf
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - K Otani
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - J C Kieffer
- INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - Y Y Tsui
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada
| | - A Ng
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - R Fedosejevs
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2V4, Canada
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19
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Thaury C, Guillaume E, Corde S, Lehe R, Le Bouteiller M, Ta Phuoc K, Davoine X, Rax JM, Rousse A, Malka V. Angular-momentum evolution in laser-plasma accelerators. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 111:135002. [PMID: 24116787 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.135002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The transverse properties of an electron beam are characterized by two quantities, the emittance which indicates the electron beam extent in the phase space and the angular momentum which allows for nonplanar electron trajectories. Whereas the emittance of electron beams produced in a laser-plasma accelerator has been measured in several experiments, their angular momentum has been scarcely studied. It was demonstrated that electrons in a laser-plasma accelerator carry some angular momentum, but its origin was not established. Here we identify one source of angular-momentum growth and we present experimental results showing that the angular-momentum content evolves during the acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Thaury
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, ENSTA ParisTech-CNRS UMR7639-École Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
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20
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Optical control of hard X-ray polarization by electron injection in a laser wakefield accelerator. Nat Commun 2013; 4:2421. [PMID: 24026068 PMCID: PMC3778521 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-plasma particle accelerators could provide more compact sources of high-energy radiation than conventional accelerators. Moreover, because they deliver radiation in femtosecond pulses, they could improve the time resolution of X-ray absorption techniques. Here we show that we can measure and control the polarization of ultra-short, broad-band keV photon pulses emitted from a laser-plasma-based betatron source. The electron trajectories and hence the polarization of the emitted X-rays are experimentally controlled by the pulse-front tilt of the driving laser pulses. Particle-in-cell simulations show that an asymmetric plasma wave can be driven by a tilted pulse front and a non-symmetric intensity distribution of the focal spot. Both lead to a notable off-axis electron injection followed by collective electron–betatron oscillations. We expect that our method for an all-optical steering is not only useful for plasma-based X-ray sources but also has significance for future laser-based particle accelerators. Radiation sources driven by laser-plasma accelerators have the potential to produce shorter bursts of radiation at lower cost than those based on conventional accelerators. Schnell et al. demonstrate the ability to control the polarization of the bursts of hard X-rays produced by such a source.
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21
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Observation of longitudinal and transverse self-injections in laser-plasma accelerators. Nat Commun 2013; 4:1501. [PMID: 23422669 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-plasma accelerators can produce high-quality electron beams, up to giga electronvolts in energy, from a centimetre scale device. The properties of the electron beams and the accelerator stability are largely determined by the injection stage of electrons into the accelerator. The simplest mechanism of injection is self-injection, in which the wakefield is strong enough to trap cold plasma electrons into the laser wake. The main drawback of this method is its lack of shot-to-shot stability. Here we present experimental and numerical results that demonstrate the existence of two different self-injection mechanisms. Transverse self-injection is shown to lead to low stability and poor-quality electron beams, because of a strong dependence on the intensity profile of the laser pulse. In contrast, longitudinal injection, which is unambiguously observed for the first time, is shown to lead to much more stable acceleration and higher-quality electron beams.
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22
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Plateau GR, Geddes CGR, Thorn DB, Chen M, Benedetti C, Esarey E, Gonsalves AJ, Matlis NH, Nakamura K, Schroeder CB, Shiraishi S, Sokollik T, van Tilborg J, Toth C, Trotsenko S, Kim TS, Battaglia M, Stöhlker T, Leemans WP. Low-emittance electron bunches from a laser-plasma accelerator measured using single-shot x-ray spectroscopy. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2012; 109:064802. [PMID: 23006273 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.109.064802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2011] [Revised: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
X-ray spectroscopy is used to obtain single-shot information on electron beam emittance in a low-energy-spread 0.5 GeV-class laser-plasma accelerator. Measurements of betatron radiation from 2 to 20 keV used a CCD and single-photon counting techniques. By matching x-ray spectra to betatron radiation models, the electron bunch radius inside the plasma is estimated to be ~0.1 μm. Combining this with simultaneous electron spectra, normalized transverse emittance is estimated to be as low as 0.1 mm mrad, consistent with three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Correlations of the bunch radius with electron beam parameters are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R Plateau
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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23
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Schmid K, Veisz L. Supersonic gas jets for laser-plasma experiments. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2012; 83:053304. [PMID: 22667614 DOI: 10.1063/1.4719915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We present an in-depth analysis of De Laval nozzles, which are ideal for gas jet generation in a wide variety of experiments. Scaling behavior of parameters especially relevant to laser-plasma experiments as jet collimation, sharpness of the jet edges and Mach number of the resulting jet is studied and several scaling laws are given. Special attention is paid to the problem of the generation of microscopic supersonic jets with diameters as small as 150 μm. In this regime, boundary layers dominate the flow formation and have to be included in the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Schmid
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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24
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Schnell M, Sävert A, Landgraf B, Reuter M, Nicolai M, Jäckel O, Peth C, Thiele T, Jansen O, Pukhov A, Willi O, Kaluza MC, Spielmann C. Deducing the electron-beam diameter in a laser-plasma accelerator using x-ray betatron radiation. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2012; 108:075001. [PMID: 22401215 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.108.075001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the properties of a laser-plasma electron accelerator as a bright source of keV x-ray radiation. During the interaction, the electrons undergo betatron oscillations and from the carefully measured x-ray spectrum the oscillation amplitude of the electrons can be deduced which decreases with increasing electron energies. From the oscillation amplitude and the independently measured x-ray source size of (1.8±0.3) μm we are able to estimate the electron bunch diameter to be (1.6±0.3) μm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schnell
- Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronik, Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
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25
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Corde S, Phuoc KT, Fitour R, Faure J, Tafzi A, Goddet JP, Malka V, Rousse A. Controlled betatron x-ray radiation from tunable optically injected electrons. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2011; 107:255003. [PMID: 22243084 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.107.255003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The features of Betatron x-ray emission produced in a laser-plasma accelerator are closely linked to the properties of the relativistic electrons which are at the origin of the radiation. While in interaction regimes explored previously the source was by nature unstable, following the fluctuations of the electron beam, we demonstrate in this Letter the possibility to generate x-ray Betatron radiation with controlled and reproducible features, allowing fine studies of its properties. To do so, Betatron radiation is produced using monoenergetic electrons with tunable energies from a laser-plasma accelerator with colliding pulse injection [J. Faure et al., Nature (London) 444, 737 (2006)]. The presented study provides evidence of the correlations between electrons and x-rays, and the obtained results open significant perspectives toward the production of a stable and controlled femtosecond Betatron x-ray source in the keV range.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Corde
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, ENSTA ParisTech - CNRS UMR7639 - École Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
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26
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Corde S, Thaury C, Phuoc KT, Lifschitz A, Lambert G, Faure J, Lundh O, Benveniste E, Ben-Ismail A, Arantchuk L, Marciniak A, Stordeur A, Brijesh P, Rousse A, Specka A, Malka V. Mapping the x-ray emission region in a laser-plasma accelerator. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2011; 107:215004. [PMID: 22181891 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.107.215004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The x-ray emission in laser-plasma accelerators can be a powerful tool to understand the physics of relativistic laser-plasma interaction. It is shown here that the mapping of betatron x-ray radiation can be obtained from the x-ray beam profile when an aperture mask is positioned just beyond the end of the emission region. The influence of the plasma density on the position and the longitudinal profile of the x-ray emission is investigated and compared to particle-in-cell simulations. The measurement of the x-ray emission position and length provides insight on the dynamics of the interaction, including the electron self-injection region, possible multiple injection, and the role of the electron beam driven wakefield.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Corde
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, ENSTA ParisTech - CNRS UMR-École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
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27
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Fourmaux S, Corde S, Phuoc KT, Lassonde P, Lebrun G, Payeur S, Martin F, Sebban S, Malka V, Rousse A, Kieffer JC. Single shot phase contrast imaging using laser-produced Betatron x-ray beams. OPTICS LETTERS 2011; 36:2426-2428. [PMID: 21725433 DOI: 10.1364/ol.36.002426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Development of x-ray phase contrast imaging applications with a laboratory scale source have been limited by the long exposure time needed to obtain one image. We demonstrate, using the Betatron x-ray radiation produced when electrons are accelerated and wiggled in the laser-wakefield cavity, that a high-quality phase contrast image of a complex object (here, a bee), located in air, can be obtained with a single laser shot. The Betatron x-ray source used in this proof of principle experiment has a source diameter of 1.7 μm and produces a synchrotron spectrum with critical energy E(c)=12.3±2.5 keV and 10⁹ photons per shot in the whole spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Fourmaux
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel Boulet, Varennes J3X 1S2, Québec, Canada.
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28
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Thorn DB, Geddes CGR, Matlis NH, Plateau GR, Esarey EH, Battaglia M, Schroeder CB, Shiraishi S, Stöhlker T, Tóth C, Leemans WP. Spectroscopy of betatron radiation emitted from laser-produced wakefield accelerated electrons. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2010; 81:10E325. [PMID: 21034023 DOI: 10.1063/1.3479118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
X-ray betatron radiation is produced by oscillations of electrons in the intense focusing field of a laser-plasma accelerator. These hard x-rays show promise for use in femtosecond-scale time-resolved radiography of ultrafast processes. However, the spectral characteristics of betatron radiation have only been inferred from filter pack measurements. In order to achieve higher resolution spectral information about the betatron emission, we used an x-ray charge-coupled device to record the spectrum of betatron radiation, with a full width at half maximum resolution of 225 eV. In addition, we have recorded simultaneous electron and x-ray spectra along with x-ray images that allow for a determination of the betatron emission source size, as well as differences in the x-ray spectra as a function of the energy spectrum of accelerated electrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Thorn
- ExtreMe Matter Institute, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
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29
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Kaluza MC, Schlenvoigt HP, Mangles SPD, Thomas AGR, Dangor AE, Schwoerer H, Mori WB, Najmudin Z, Krushelnick KM. Measurement of magnetic-field structures in a laser-wakefield accelerator. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2010; 105:115002. [PMID: 20867577 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.105.115002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Experimental measurements of magnetic fields generated in the cavity of a self-injecting laser-wakefield accelerator are presented. Faraday rotation is used to determine the existence of multimegagauss fields, constrained to a transverse dimension comparable to the plasma wavelength ∼λp and several λp longitudinally. The fields are generated rapidly and move with the driving laser. In our experiment, the appearance of the magnetic fields is correlated with the production of relativistic electrons, indicating that they are inherently tied to the growth and wave breaking of the nonlinear plasma wave. This evolution is confirmed by numerical simulations, showing that these measurements provide insight into the wakefield evolution with high spatial and temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Kaluza
- Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, 07743 Jena, Germany
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30
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Albert F, Shah R, Phuoc KT, Fitour R, Burgy F, Rousseau JP, Tafzi A, Douillet D, Lefrou T, Rousse A. Betatron oscillations of electrons accelerated in laser wakefields characterized by spectral x-ray analysis. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2008; 77:056402. [PMID: 18643171 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.77.056402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2006] [Revised: 02/18/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Relativistic electrons accelerated by laser wakefields can produce x-ray beams from their motion in plasma termed betatron oscillations. Detailed spectral characterization is presented in which the amplitude of the betatron oscillations r is studied by numerical analysis of electron and x-ray spectra measured simultaneously. We find that r reaches as low as 1 mum in agreement with previous studies of radiation based on coherence and far-field spatial profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félicie Albert
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, ENSTA, CNRS UMR7639, Ecole Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau, France
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31
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Kneip S, Nagel SR, Bellei C, Bourgeois N, Dangor AE, Gopal A, Heathcote R, Mangles SPD, Marquès JR, Maksimchuk A, Nilson PM, Phuoc KT, Reed S, Tzoufras M, Tsung FS, Willingale L, Mori WB, Rousse A, Krushelnick K, Najmudin Z. Observation of synchrotron radiation from electrons accelerated in a petawatt-laser-generated plasma cavity. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2008; 100:105006. [PMID: 18352200 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.100.105006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2007] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of plasma electrons in the focus of a petawatt laser beam are studied via measurements of their x-ray synchrotron radiation. With increasing laser intensity, a forward directed beam of x rays extending to 50 keV is observed. The measured x rays are well described in the synchrotron asymptotic limit of electrons oscillating in a plasma channel. The critical energy of the measured synchrotron spectrum is found to scale as the Maxwellian temperature of the simultaneously measured electron spectra. At low laser intensity transverse oscillations are negligible as the electrons are predominantly accelerated axially by the laser generated wakefield. At high laser intensity, electrons are directly accelerated by the laser and enter a highly radiative regime with up to 5% of their energy converted into x rays.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kneip
- The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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Németh K, Shen B, Li Y, Shang H, Crowell R, Harkay KC, Cary JR. Laser-driven coherent betatron oscillation in a laser-wakefield cavity. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2008; 100:095002. [PMID: 18352716 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.100.095002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2007] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The origin of beam disparity in emittance and betatron oscillation orbits, in and out of the polarization plane of the drive laser of laser-plasma accelerators, is explained in terms of betatron oscillations driven by the laser field. As trapped electrons accelerate, they move forward and interact with the laser pulse. For the bubble regime, a simple model is presented to describe this interaction in terms of a harmonic oscillator with a driving force from the laser and a restoring force from the plasma wake field. The resulting beam oscillations in the polarization plane, with period approximately the wavelength of the driving laser, increase emittance in that plane and cause microbunching of the beam. These effects are observed directly in 3D particle-in-cell simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Károly Németh
- Accelerator Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
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