Developments in laser-driven plasma accelerators

TL;DR

Laser-driven plasma accelerators can achieve extremely high acceleration gradients, potentially enabling much shorter accelerators, with recent advances demonstrating electron acceleration to high energies over just centimeters.

Contribution

This paper reviews the development, principles, and potential applications of laser-driven plasma accelerators, highlighting recent progress and future challenges.

Findings

Demonstrated electron acceleration to high energies in centimeters

Reviewed historical development from 1979 to present

Discussed potential applications and technical challenges

Abstract

Laser-driven plasma accelerators provide acceleration gradients three orders of magnitude greater than conventional machines, offering the potential to shrink the length of accelerators by the same factor. To date, laser-acceleration of electron beams to particle energies comparable to those offered by synchrotron light sources has been demonstrated with plasma acceleration stages only a few centimetres long. This article describes the principles of operation of laser-driven plasma accelerators, and reviews their development from their proposal in 1979 to recent demonstrations. The potential applications of plasma accelerators are described and the challenges which must be overcome before they can become a practical tool are discussed.