Proton Acceleration in Underdense Plasma by Ultraintense Laguerre-Gaussian Laser Pulse

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates through 3D particle-in-cell simulations that Laguerre-Gaussian laser pulses can efficiently accelerate protons to GeV energies in underdense plasma, offering a stable and high-energy acceleration method.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel proton acceleration mechanism using LG laser pulses, forming a special bubble structure that enhances stability and energy gain compared to Gaussian pulses.

Findings

Protons accelerated to 7 GeV from 1 GeV in simulations.

LG10 laser pulse creates a stable bubble with an electron pillar.

Higher energy proton beams achieved with LG laser pulses.

Abstract

Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation is used to investigate the witness proton acceleration in underdense plasma with a short intense Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) laser pulse. Driven by the LG10 laser pulse, a special bubble with an electron pillar on the axis is formed, in which protons can be well-confined by the generated transversal focusing field and accelerated by the longitudinal wakefield. The risk of scattering prior to acceleration with a Gaussian laser pulse in underdense plasma is avoided, and protons are accelerated stably to much higher energy. In simulation, a proton beam has been accelerated to 7 GeV from 1 GeV in underdense tritium plasma driven by a 2.14x1022 W/cm2 LG10 laser pulse.