Acceleration of on-axis and ring-shaped electron beams in wakefields driven by Laguerre-Gaussian pulses

Zhang, Guo Bo and Chen, Min and Luo, Ji and Zeng, Ming and Yuan, Tao and Yu, Ji Ye and Ma, Yan Yun and Yu, Tong Pu and Yu, Lu Le and Weng, Su Ming and Sheng, Zheng Ming (2016) Acceleration of on-axis and ring-shaped electron beams in wakefields driven by Laguerre-Gaussian pulses. Journal of Applied Physics, 119 (10). 103101. ISSN 0021-8979 (https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4943419)

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Abstract

The acceleration of electron beams with multiple transverse structures in wakefields driven by Laguerre-Gaussian pulses has been studied through three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations. Under different laser-plasma conditions, the wakefield shows different transverse structures. In general cases, the wakefield shows a donut-like structure and it accelerates the ring-shaped hollow electron beam. When a lower plasma density or a smaller laser spot size is used, besides the donut-like wakefield, a central bell-like wakefield can also be excited. The wake sets in the center of the donut-like wake. In this case, both a central on-axis electron beam and a ring-shaped electron beam are simultaneously accelerated. Further, reducing the plasma density or laser spot size leads to an on-axis electron beam acceleration only. The research is beneficial for some potential applications requiring special pulse beam structures, such as positron acceleration and collimation.