Enhanced wakefield generation in homogeneous plasma via two co-propagating laser pulses

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that using two co-propagating laser pulses with optimal spatial separation in homogeneous plasma significantly enhances wakefield amplitude, with potential applications in plasma-based acceleration.

Contribution

It introduces a novel scheme of two co-propagating lasers with optimized separation to amplify plasma wakefields, supported by analytical and simulation results.

Findings

Maximum wakefield amplification occurs at spatial separation equal to the plasma wavelength.

The spatial interval between pulses critically affects wakefield enhancement.

The scheme offers a promising method for stronger plasma wakefield excitation.

Abstract

This investigation deals with enhanced plasma wakefield amplitude generated using two co-propagating laser pulses in homogeneous plasma. The configuration consists of a seed pulse followed by a trailing pulse, both linearly polarized and sharing identical laser parameters. The enhancement in wakefield amplitude corresponding to fixed spatial separation is optimized for various pulse widths and intensities of the seed and trailing lasers. Analytical modelling and particle-in-cell simulations reveal that the maximum amplification in wakefield amplitude is obtained when spatial separation equals the plasma wavelength (\lambda_p). The spatial intervals between laser pulses critically influence the wakefield amplification. These findings confirm that the two co-propagating lasers scheme provides a promising route toward stronger plasma wakefield excitation, potentially important for various applications.