Self-seeded photon acceleration by electron beam-driven transition radiation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel photon acceleration method using transition radiation from electron beams, overcoming synchronization challenges of previous techniques and achieving significant frequency boosts in a compact setup.

Contribution

It proposes using transition radiation as seed photons for photon acceleration, providing a practical and synchronized alternative to laser-injected methods.

Findings

Achieved over 20-fold frequency boost from 4.4 μm to 184 nm

Demonstrated acceleration in a 1.6 mm two-stage plasma

Addressed synchronization issues in photon acceleration methods

Abstract

Photon acceleration (PA) driven by ultra-relativistic electron beams offers a promising approach to generating high-power, high-frequency coherent radiation sources. While current methods typically rely on external optical laser pulses injected into beam-driven plasma wakefields, they face significant challenges in synchronization and alignment between electron accelerators and laser systems. We propose utilizing transition radiation (TR) generated by the drive electron bunch transversing the vacuum-gas interface as the seed photons of PA. Using a 1 GeV electron bunch, we demonstrate acceleration of TR from 4.4 {\mu}m to 184 nm in 1.6 mm of two-stage uniform plasma, achieving more than a 20-fold frequency boost. Further frequency increases can be achieved with optimized setups. This scheme addresses the synchronization and alignment issues present in previous approaches, providing a practical path toward beam-driven photon acceleration.