Speaker
Prof.
Simon Hooker
(University of Oxford)
Description
We will describe work towards developing a new architecture for plasma accelerators able to generate GeV-scale electron beams at kilohertz repetition rates. Our approach is based on multi-pulse laser wakefield acceleration (MP-LWFA) in which a plasma wakefield is excited by a train of low-energy laser pulses; this approach opens wakefield acceleration to rapidly evolving laser technologies, such as fibre and thin-disk lasers, which are able to deliver ultrafast multi-mJ pulses at kHz repetition rates with high wall-plug efficiency.
Generating high-quality electron bunches with high reliability and low shot-to-shot jitter requires control over electron injection. For the case of MP-LWFAs this requires the development of new methods since the wakefield will be quasi-linear regime, and hence existing techniques developed for nonlinear wakes will not be directly applicable.
We will describe progress in understanding processes which might limit the operation of MP-LWFAs, such as non-uniformities in the plasma or pulse train and the effects of ion motion and laser hosing. Possible methods for controlling injection in MP-LWFAs will be discussed.
Primary author
Prof.
Simon Hooker
(University of Oxford)
Co-authors
Mr
Christopher Arran
(University of Oxford)
Mr
Christopher Thornton
(JAI)
Mr
Gavin Cheung
(University of Oxford)
Mr
James Cowley
(University of Oxford)
Dr
Laura Corner
(JAI, Oxford University)
Mr
Robert Shalloo
(JAI, University of Oxford)
Prof.
Roman Walczak
(University of Oxford)
