Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Optics and Lasers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2018) | Viewed by 38889

Special Issue Editors

Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, CNR, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: ultra-short, ultraintense laser–plasma interactions; particle acceleration in laser–matter interactions; e.m. wave propagation; atomic physics of ionised species; collective phenomena and instabilities; inertial confinement fusion related studies; X-ray generation and characterisation; X-ray and gamma ray optics
Centre for Advanced and Interdisciplinary Radiation Research, Centre for Plasma Physics (CPP), School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
Interests: laser-plasma interaction physics; laser-ion acceleration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

New large-scale, intense laser facilities with unique specifications will soon be coming on-line; they are capable of laser intensities never achieved before. At the same time, a number of dedicated laser installations are being built or upgraded across the world to enter new laser–matter interaction regimes for particle acceleration and generation of radiation applications. Ground-breaking initiatives based on novel particle acceleration techniques will likely deliver extraordinary achievements of modern light sources based on the latest acceleration technology, with a perspective view on future accelerators.

In view of the dramatic development of this field, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive reference view of the high quality laser–plasma acceleration technique, with a focus on emerging laser-injection techniques; controlled plasma acceleration and staging techniques; applications of established schemes of ion acceleration and future high energy ion accelerators; and an update of high average power lasers for future accelerators, conceptual collider schemes, lasers, plasmas and beam diagnostics for acceleration techniques.

Dr. Gizzi Leonida
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Laser–plasma acceleration

  • Injection processes

  • Self-injection techniques

  • Staged plasma acceleration

  • Target-normal sheath acceleration

  • Radiation-pressure and high intensity ion acceleration schemes

  • High quality laser–plasma acceleration

  • Laser-driven beam properties diagnostics

  • Laser and beam stability measurements

  • Future colliders

  • High-average power lasers for plasma accelerators

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 5589 KiB  
Article
Fundamentals and Applications of Hybrid LWFA-PWFA
by Bernhard Hidding, Andrew Beaton, Lewis Boulton, Sebastién Corde, Andreas Doepp, Fahim Ahmad Habib, Thomas Heinemann, Arie Irman, Stefan Karsch, Gavin Kirwan, Alexander Knetsch, Grace Gloria Manahan, Alberto Martinez de la Ossa, Alastair Nutter, Paul Scherkl, Ulrich Schramm and Daniel Ullmann
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(13), 2626; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9132626 - 28 Jun 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4912
Abstract
Fundamental similarities and differences between laser-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (LWFA) and particle-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA) are discussed. The complementary features enable the conception and development of novel hybrid plasma accelerators, which allow previously not accessible compact solutions for high quality electron bunch [...] Read more.
Fundamental similarities and differences between laser-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (LWFA) and particle-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA) are discussed. The complementary features enable the conception and development of novel hybrid plasma accelerators, which allow previously not accessible compact solutions for high quality electron bunch generation and arising applications. Very high energy gains can be realized by electron beam drivers even in single stages because PWFA is practically dephasing-free and not diffraction-limited. These electron driver beams for PWFA in turn can be produced in compact LWFA stages. In various hybrid approaches, these PWFA systems can be spiked with ionizing laser pulses to realize tunable and high-quality electron sources via optical density downramp injection (also known as plasma torch) or plasma photocathodes (also known as Trojan Horse) and via wakefield-induced injection (also known as WII). These hybrids can act as beam energy, brightness and quality transformers, and partially have built-in stabilizing features. They thus offer compact pathways towards beams with unprecedented emittance and brightness, which may have transformative impact for light sources and photon science applications. Furthermore, they allow the study of PWFA-specific challenges in compact setups in addition to large linac-based facilities, such as fundamental beam–plasma interaction physics, to develop novel diagnostics, and to develop contributions such as ultralow emittance test beams or other building blocks and schemes which support future plasma-based collider concepts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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21 pages, 4484 KiB  
Article
Skew Quadrupole Effect of Laser Plasma Electron Beam Transport
by Driss Oumbarek Espinos, Amin Ghaith, Thomas André, Charles Kitégi, Mourad Sebdaoui, Alexandre Loulergue, Fabrice Marteau, Frédéric Blache, Mathieu Valléau, Marie Labat, Alain Lestrade, Eléonore Roussel, Cédric Thaury, Sébastien Corde, Guillaume Lambert, Olena Kononenko, Jean-Philippe Goddet, Amar Tafzi, Victor Malka and Marie-Emmanuelle Couprie
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(12), 2447; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9122447 - 14 Jun 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3397
Abstract
Laser plasma acceleration (LPA) capable of providing femtosecond and GeV electron beams in cm scale distances brings a high interest for different applications, such as free electron laser and future colliders. Nevertheless, LPA high divergence and energy spread require an initial strong focus [...] Read more.
Laser plasma acceleration (LPA) capable of providing femtosecond and GeV electron beams in cm scale distances brings a high interest for different applications, such as free electron laser and future colliders. Nevertheless, LPA high divergence and energy spread require an initial strong focus to mitigate the chromatic effects. The reliability, in particular with the pointing fluctuations, sets a real challenge for the control of the dispersion along the electron beam transport. We examine here how the magnetic defects of the first strong quadrupoles, in particular, the skew terms, can affect the brightness of the transported electron beam, in the case of the COXINEL transport line, designed for manipulating the electron beam properties for a free electron laser application. We also show that the higher the initial beam divergence, the larger the degradation. Experimentally, after having implemented a beam pointing alignment compensation method enabling us to adjust the position and dispersion independently, we demonstrate that the presence of non-negligible skew quadrupolar components induces a transversal spread and tilt of the beam, leading to an emittance growth and brightness reduction. We are able to reproduce the measurements with beam transport simulations using the measured electron beam parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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30 pages, 4878 KiB  
Article
Conceptual and Technical Design Aspects of Accelerators for External Injection in LWFA
by Barbara Marchetti, Ralph Assmann, Ulrich Dorda and Jun Zhu
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(5), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8050757 - 10 May 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5563
Abstract
Laser driven Wake-Field Acceleration (LWFA) has proven its capability of accelerating electron bunches (e-bunches) to up to 4 GeV energy in a single stage while reaching gradients up to hundreds of GV/m. Because of the short period of the accelerating field (typically ranging [...] Read more.
Laser driven Wake-Field Acceleration (LWFA) has proven its capability of accelerating electron bunches (e-bunches) to up to 4 GeV energy in a single stage while reaching gradients up to hundreds of GV/m. Because of the short period of the accelerating field (typically ranging from 100 fs to 1 ps duration) and the requirement of extremely small beam size (typically smaller than 1 μ m) to match the channel, e-bunches can reach extremely high densities. They can be either extracted directly from the plasma or externally injected. The study of the external injection is interesting for two main reasons. On the one hand this method allows better control of the quality of the input beam and on the other hand it is in general necessary when a staged approach of the accelerator is considered. The interest in producing, characterizing and transporting high brightness ultra-short e-bunches has grown together with the interest in LWFA and other novel high-gradient acceleration techniques. In this paper we will review the principal techniques for producing and shaping ultra-short electron bunches with the example of the SINBAD-ARES (Accelerator Research Experiment at SINBAD) linac at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY). Our goal is to show how the design of the SINBAD-ARES linac satisfies the requirements for generating high brightness LWFA probes. In the last part of the paper we shall also comment on the technical challenges for electron control and characterization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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21 pages, 6826 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Tomography of Gas-Jets with a Wollaston Interferometer
by Andreas Adelmann, Benedikt Hermann, Rasmus Ischebeck, Malte C. Kaluza, Uldis Locans, Nick Sauerwein and Roxana Tarkeshian
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(3), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8030443 - 15 Mar 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5074
Abstract
A tomographic gas-density diagnostic using a Single-Beam Wollaston Interferometer able to characterize non-symmetric density distributions in gas jets is presented. A real-time tomographic algorithm is able to reconstruct three-dimensional density distributions. A Maximum Likelihood-Expectation Maximization algorithm, an iterative method with good convergence properties [...] Read more.
A tomographic gas-density diagnostic using a Single-Beam Wollaston Interferometer able to characterize non-symmetric density distributions in gas jets is presented. A real-time tomographic algorithm is able to reconstruct three-dimensional density distributions. A Maximum Likelihood-Expectation Maximization algorithm, an iterative method with good convergence properties compared to simple back projection, is used. With the use of graphical processing units, real-time computation and high resolution are achieved. Two different gas jets are characterized: a kHz, piezo-driven jet for lower densities and a solenoid valve-based jet producing higher densities. While the first jet is used for free electron laser photon beam characterization, the second jet is used in laser wake field acceleration experiments. In this latter application, well-tailored and non-symmetric density distributions produced by a supersonic shock front generated by a razor blade inserted laterally to the gas flow, which breaks cylindrical symmetry, need to be characterized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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11 pages, 2532 KiB  
Article
Radiation Pressure-Driven Plasma Surface Dynamics in Ultra-Intense Laser Pulse Interactions with Ultra-Thin Foils
by Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Remi Capdessus, Martin King, Ross J. Gray, Robbie Wilson, Rachel J. Dance, John McCreadie, Nicholas M. H. Butler, Steve J. Hawkes, James S. Green, Nicola Booth, Marco Borghesi, David Neely and Paul McKenna
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(3), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8030336 - 27 Feb 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3932
Abstract
The dynamics of the plasma critical density surface in an ultra-thin foil target irradiated by an ultra-intense (∼6 × 10 20 Wcm 2 ) laser pulse is investigated experimentally and via 2D particle-in-cell simulations. Changes to the surface motion are diagnosed as [...] Read more.
The dynamics of the plasma critical density surface in an ultra-thin foil target irradiated by an ultra-intense (∼6 × 10 20 Wcm 2 ) laser pulse is investigated experimentally and via 2D particle-in-cell simulations. Changes to the surface motion are diagnosed as a function of foil thickness. The experimental and numerical results are compared with hole-boring and light-sail models of radiation pressure acceleration, to identify the foil thickness range for which each model accounts for the measured surface motion. Both the experimental and numerical results show that the onset of relativistic self-induced transparency, in the thinnest targets investigated, limits the velocity of the critical surface, and thus the effectiveness of radiation pressure acceleration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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Review

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20 pages, 10217 KiB  
Review
HELL: High-Energy Electrons by Laser Light, a User-Oriented Experimental Platform at ELI Beamlines
by Tadzio Levato, Stefano Bonora, Gabriele Maria Grittani, Carlo Maria Lazzarini, Muhammad Fahad Nawaz, Michal Nevrkla, Leonardo Villanova, Roberto Ziano, Silvano Bassanese, Nadezhda Bobrova, Katia Casarin, Edwin Chacon-Golcher, Yanjun Gu, Danila Khikhlukha, Daniel Kramer, Marco Lonza, Daniele Margarone, Veronika Olšovcová, Marcin Rosinski, Bedrich Rus, Pavel Sasorov, Roberto Versaci, Agnieska Zaraś-Szydłowska, Sergei V. Bulanov and Georg Kornadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(9), 1565; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8091565 - 05 Sep 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6278
Abstract
Laser wake field acceleration (LWFA) is an efficient method to accelerate electron beams to high energy. This is a benefit in research infrastructures where a multidisciplinary environment can benefit from the different secondary sources enabled, having the opportunity to extend the range of [...] Read more.
Laser wake field acceleration (LWFA) is an efficient method to accelerate electron beams to high energy. This is a benefit in research infrastructures where a multidisciplinary environment can benefit from the different secondary sources enabled, having the opportunity to extend the range of applications that is accessible and to develop new ideas for fundamental studies. The ELI Beamline project is oriented to deliver such beams to the scientific community both for applied and fundamental research. The driver laser is a Ti:Sa diode-pumped system , running at a maximum performance of 10 Hz, 30 J, and 30 fs. The possibilities to setup experiments using different focal lengths parabolas, as well as the possibility to counter-propagate a second laser beam intrinsically synchronized, are considered in the electron acceleration program. Here, we review the laser-driven electron acceleration experimental platform under implementation at ELI Beamlines, the HELL (High-energy Electrons by Laser Light) experimental platform . Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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21 pages, 6202 KiB  
Review
Diagnostics and Dosimetry Solutions for Multidisciplinary Applications at the ELIMAIA Beamline
by Valentina Scuderi, Antonino Amato, Antonio Giuseppe Amico, Marco Borghesi, Giuseppe Antonio Pablo Cirrone, Giacomo Cuttone, Antonin Fajstavr, Lorenzo Giuffrida, Filip Grepl, Georg Korn, Giuseppina Larosa, Renata Leanza, Daniele Margarone, Giuliana Milluzzo, Giada Petringa, Jan Pipek, Antonio Russo, Francesco Schillaci, Andriy Velyhan and Francesco Romano
Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(9), 1415; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8091415 - 21 Aug 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4112
Abstract
ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) multidisciplinary applications of laser-ion acceleration (ELIMAIA) is one the user facilities beamlines of the ELI-Beamlines facility in Prague. It will be dedicated to the transport of laser-driven ion beams and equipped with detectors for diagnostics and dosimetry, in order [...] Read more.
ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) multidisciplinary applications of laser-ion acceleration (ELIMAIA) is one the user facilities beamlines of the ELI-Beamlines facility in Prague. It will be dedicated to the transport of laser-driven ion beams and equipped with detectors for diagnostics and dosimetry, in order to carry out experiments for a broad range of multidisciplinary applications. One of the aims of the beamline is also to demonstrate the feasibility of these peculiar beams for possible medical applications, which means delivering controllable and stable beams, properly monitoring their transport parameters and accurately measuring the dose per shot. To fulfil this task, innovative systems of charged particle beam diagnostics have been realized and alternative approaches for relative and absolute dosimetry have been proposed. Concerning the first one, real-time diagnostic solutions have been adopted, involving the use of time-of-flight techniques and Thomson parabola spectrometry for an on-line characterization of the ion beam parameters, as well as radiochromic films, nuclear track detectors (typically CR39), and image plates for single shot measurements. For beam dosimetry, real-time beam/dose monitoring detectors have been realized, like the secondary emission monitor and a double-gap ionization chamber, which can be cross calibrated against a Faraday cup, used for absolute dosimetry. The main features of these detectors are reported in this work together with a description of their working principle and some preliminary tests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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Other

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2321 KiB  
Perspective
A New Line for Laser-Driven Light Ions Acceleration and Related TNSA Studies
by Leonida Antonio Gizzi, Dario Giove, Carmen Altana, Fernando Brandi, Pablo Cirrone, Gabriele Cristoforetti, Alberto Fazzi, Paolo Ferrara, Lorenzo Fulgentini, Petra Koester, Luca Labate, Gaetano Lanzalone, Pasquale Londrillo, David Mascali, Annamaria Muoio, Daniele Palla, Francesco Schillaci, Stefano Sinigardi, Salvatore Tudisco and Giorgio Turchetti
Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(10), 984; https://doi.org/10.3390/app7100984 - 25 Sep 2017
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4835
Abstract
In this paper, we present the status of the line for laser-driven light ions acceleration (L3IA) currently under implementation at the Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory (ILIL), and we provide an overview of the pilot experimental activity on laser-driven ion acceleration carried out in [...] Read more.
In this paper, we present the status of the line for laser-driven light ions acceleration (L3IA) currently under implementation at the Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory (ILIL), and we provide an overview of the pilot experimental activity on laser-driven ion acceleration carried out in support of the design of the line. A description of the main components is given, including the laser, the beam transport line, the interaction chamber, and the diagnostics. A review of the main results obtained so far during the pilot experimental activity is also reported, including details of the laser-plasma interaction and ion beam characterization. A brief description of the preliminary results of a dedicated numerical modeling is also provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration)
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