Beam Science with LaserNetUS & Other User Facilities
Generation of multi-Joule, multi-GeV electron beams by laser-driven acceleration in meter-scale plasma waveguides
11:30 am – 12:06 pmDevelopment of new methods for the all-optical generation of meter-scale, low-density (~1017 cm-3) plasma waveguides [1–3] at the University of Maryland has enabled a new generation of laser-driven plasma accelerators capable of accelerating electron bunches to ~10 GeV in tens of centimeters [4,5]. In this talk, I will discuss the key physics innovations of our group leading to these results, including optical techniques for waveguide formation [1–3,6], the design of meter-scale supersonic gas jets [7], multi-physics modelling of waveguide formation, evolution and guiding properties [8], and a new model of relativistic pulse propagation in macroscopically long plasma guiding structures [9]. I will then present results from our most recent experiments, including high efficiency acceleration to ~10 GeV in a 30 cm plasma waveguide [10], the first demonstration of muon imaging radiography driven by a laser wakefield accelerator, and the demonstration of 1-meter-long plasma waveguides in a new modular supersonic gas jet.