Study of the transfer and matching line for a PWFA-driven FEL

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel transport line scheme using active-plasma lenses and a collimator to efficiently transfer and match electron bunches from a plasma-based accelerator for FEL applications, enhancing beam quality and compactness.

Contribution

It introduces an innovative array of discharge capillaries as active-plasma lenses combined with a collimator for improved beam transfer in plasma wakefield accelerators.

Findings

Active-plasma lenses provide symmetric, linear focusing for beam transport.

The scheme effectively captures and transports the witness bunch without quality loss.

Driver removal is achieved via collimation, optimizing beam handling.

Abstract

The development of compact accelerator facilities providing high-brightness beams is one of the most challenging tasks in the field of next-generation compact and cost affordable particle accelerators. Recent results obtained at SPARC\_LAB show evidence of the FEL laser by a compact (3 cm) particle driven plasma-based accelerator. This work is carried out in the framework of the SPARC\_LAB activities concerning the R$\&$D on plasma wakefield accelerators for the realization of new compact plasma based facilities, i.e EuPRAXIA@SPARC\_LAB. The work here presented is a theoretical study demonstrating a possible scheme concerning the implementation of an innovative array of discharge capillaries, operating as active-plasma lenses, and one collimator to build an unconventional transport line for bunches outgoing from plasma accelerating module. Taking advantage of the symmetric and linear focusing provided by an active-plasma lens, the witness is captured and transported along the array without affecting its quality at the exit of the plasma module. At the same time the driver, being over-focused in the same array, can be removed by means of a collimator.