Plasma photocathodes

Habib, Ahmad Fahim and Heinemann, Thomas and Manahan, Grace G. and Ullmann, Daniel and Scherkl, Paul and Knetsch, Alexander and Sutherland, Andrew and Beaton, Andrew and Campbell, David and Rutherford, Lorne and Boulton, Lewis and Nutter, Alastair and Karger, Oliver S. and Litos, Michael D. and O’Shea, Brendon D. and Andonian, Gerard and Bruhwiler, David L. and Pretzler, Georg and Wilson, Thomas and Sheng, Zhengming and Stumpf, Michael and Reichwein, Lars and Pukhov, Alexander and Cary, John R. and Hogan, Mark J. and Yakimenko, Vitaly and Rosenzweig, James B. and Hidding, Bernhard (2023) Plasma photocathodes. Annalen der Physik, 535 (10). 2200655. ISSN 1521-3889 (https://doi.org/10.1002/andp.202200655)

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Abstract

Plasma wakefield accelerators offer accelerating and focusing electric fields three to four orders of magnitude larger than state-of-the-art radiofrequency cavity-based accelerators. Plasma photocathodes can release ultracold electron populations within such plasma waves and thus open a path toward tunable production of well-defined, compact electron beams with normalized emittance and brightness many orders of magnitude better than state-of-the-art. Such beams will have far-reaching impact for applications such as light sources, but also open up new vistas on high energy and high field physics. This paper reviews the innovation of plasma photocathodes, and reports on the experimental progress, challenges, and future prospects of the approach. Details of the proof-of-concept demonstration of a plasma photocathode in 90° geometry at SLAC FACET within the E-210: Trojan Horse program are described. Using this experience, alongside theoretical and simulation-supported advances, an outlook is given on future realizations of plasma photocathodes such as the upcoming E-310: Trojan Horse-II program at FACET-II with prospects toward excellent witness beam parameter quality, tunability, and stability. Future installations of plasma photocathodes also at compact, hybrid plasma wakefield accelerators, will then boost capacities and open up novel capabilities for experiments at the forefront of interaction of high brightness electron and photon beams.

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