Multistage coupling of laser-wakefield accelerators with curved plasma channels

Luo, J. and Chen, M. and Wu, W. Y. and Weng, S. M. and Sheng, Z. M. and Schroeder, C. B. and Jaroszynski, D. A. and Esarey, E. and Leemans, W. P. and Mori, W. B. and Zhang, J. (2018) Multistage coupling of laser-wakefield accelerators with curved plasma channels. Physical Review Letters, 120 (15). 154801. ISSN 1079-7114 (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.154801)

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Abstract

Multistage coupling of laser-wakefield accelerators is essential to overcome laser energy depletion for high-energy applications such as TeV-level electron-positron colliders. Current staging schemes feed subsequent laser pulses into stages using plasma mirrors while controlling electron beam focusing with plasma lenses. Here a more compact and efficient scheme is proposed to realize the simultaneous coupling of the electron beam and the laser pulse into a second stage. A partly curved channel, integrating a straight acceleration stage with a curved transition segment, is used to guide a fresh laser pulse into a subsequent straight channel, while the electrons continue straight. This scheme benefits from a shorter coupling distance and continuous guiding of the electrons in plasma while suppressing transverse beam dispersion. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the electron beam from a previous stage can be efficiently injected into a subsequent stage for further acceleration while maintaining high capture efficiency, stability, and beam quality.

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