Stern-Gerlach surfing in laser wakefield accelerators

TL;DR

This paper explores how Stern-Gerlach-type forces influence electron trajectories in laser wakefield accelerators, revealing a new class of surfing trajectories that could impact electron bunch size and applications in free electron lasers.

Contribution

It introduces the effect of Stern-Gerlach forces into laser wakefield acceleration, identifying a novel surfing trajectory family affecting electron bunch dynamics.

Findings

Stern-Gerlach forces create surfing electron trajectories.

These trajectories can increase electron bunch size.

Implications for free electron laser applications.

Abstract

We investigate the effects of a Stern-Gerlach-type addition to the Lorentz force on electrons in a laser wakefield accelerator. The Stern-Gerlach-type terms are found to generate a family of trajectories describing electrons that surf along the plasma density wave driven by a laser pulse. Such trajectories could lead to an increase in the size of an electron bunch, which may have implications for attempts to exploit such bunches in future free electron lasers.