Speaker
Description
Optically generated plasma waveguides have recently enabled compact laser wakefield accelerators (LWFAs) producing multi-GeV, high-charge electron beams with sub-mrad divergence and pointing stability. However, nearly all demonstrations to date have operated at single-shot or Hz-scale repetition rates, leaving a gap between LWFA capabilities and the high average flux required by applications such as compact FEL drivers, radiobiology platforms, and other secondary radiation sources. Existing kilohertz LWFA sources typically rely on relativistic self-guiding, limiting the electron beam pointing stability and divergence, which are critical for many applications. In this talk, we present the first, to our knowledge, demonstration of guiding and LWFA in optically generated plasma waveguides at kilohertz repetition rate. The experimental platform utilized novel diffractive geometry and two synchronized OPCPA laser systems which provided an 8 mJ, ~15 fs channel-forming pulse and 0-400 ns delayed <40 mJ, 15 fs guided pulse. Low-power guiding was demonstrated in atmospheric-pressure air in ~1 cm channels while high-power guiding and LWFA was achieved over a 1-mm supersonic gas jet. Proof-of-principle experiments observed injection and acceleration of electron bunches reaching > 20 MeV with ~mrad divergence and pointing stability. These results establish kilohertz operation as a viable regime for guided LWFA and lay the groundwork for compact, high-average-power accelerators.
| Working group | WG1 |
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