Nonlinear Optics in Relativistic Plasmas and Laser Wake Field Acceleration of Electrons

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 273; no. 5274; pp. 472 - 475
• Main Authors: Umstadter, D., S.-Y. Chen, Maksimchuk, A., Mourou, G., Wagner, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 26.07.1996; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Artificial satellites; Electric fields; Electron accelerators; Electron beams; Electrons; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Gas jets; Laser beams; Laser power; Laser-plasma interactions; Lasers; Light; Nonlinear optics; Optics; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma density; Plasma waves; Plasmas; Scientific Concepts; Relativistic plasma; Raman scattering; Plasma acceleration; Experimental study; Laser beams; Nonlinear optics; Beam plasma interaction
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.273.5274.472

When a terawatt-peak-power laser beam is focused into a gas jet, an electron plasma wave, driven by forward Raman scattering, is observed to accelerate a naturally collimated beam of electrons to relativistic energies (up to 10$^9$ total electrons, with an energy distribution maximizing at 2 megaelectron volts, a transverse emittance as low as 1 millimeter-milliradian, and a field gradient of up to 2 gigaelectron volts per centimeter). Electron acceleration and the appearance of high-frequency modulations in the transmitted light spectrum were both found to have sharp thresholds in laser power and plasma density. A hole in the center of the electron beam may indicate that plasma electrons were expelled radially.