15–21 Sept 2019
Hotel Hermitage, La Biodola Bay, Isola d'Elba, Italy
Europe/Rome timezone

Laser systems with accelerator-like performance, key for stable plasma electron beams

16 Sept 2019, 10:00
30m
Sala Maria Luisa (SML) (Hotel Hermitage)

Sala Maria Luisa (SML)

Hotel Hermitage

talk Invited Plenary Talk Plenary Session 1

Speaker

Andreas Maier (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg)

Description

Successful applications of laser-plasma accelerators require stable electron beams. The drive laser plays a crucial role in the generation of such beams: even slight variations in laser pulse quality on target deform the shape of the plasma wake and thereby the fields inside the plasma cavity with direct impact on the generated electron phase space. All efforts to improve the laser performance therefore directly benefit the electron beam performance.
The LUX plasma accelerator is operated in a collaboration of Hamburg University and DESY. Driven by the ANGUS laser system it has been designed to test and develop concepts towards stable plasma acceleration. Providing a platform which continuously delivers electron beams provides new opportunities to take data with high statistics and to understand mechanisms that have so far been buried in noise. Here, we discuss our approach to operate the ANUGS laser like an accelerator, implementing diagnostics, controls and feedback loops for increased performance. We will present recent experimental results, and correlate laser parameters with properties of the plasma electron beam. Finally, we will show current limitations in performance, discuss improvements in electron quality that can be expected from specific modifications in the laser, and provide an outlook on future development.

Primary authors

Andreas Maier (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Cora Braun (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Timo Eichner (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Lars Hübner (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg and DESY) Mr Thomas Hülsenbusch (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg and DESY) Soeren Jalas (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Manuel Kirchen (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Phuoc Thien Le (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Vincent Leroux (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg and DESY) Philipp Messner (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Matthias Schnepp (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Maximilian Trunk (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Christian Werle (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg) Paul Winkler (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science & Department of Physics, University of Hamburg and DESY)

Presentation materials