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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.12975 |
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| _version_ | 1866917946775830528 |
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| author | Ramsey, D. Malaca, B. Simpson, T. T. Formanek, M. Mack, L. S. Vieira, J. Froula, D. H. Palastro, J. P. |
| author_facet | Ramsey, D. Malaca, B. Simpson, T. T. Formanek, M. Mack, L. S. Vieira, J. Froula, D. H. Palastro, J. P. |
| contents | Laser-driven free-electron lasers (LDFELs) replace magnetostatic undulators with the electromagnetic fields of a laser pulse. Because the undulator period is half the wavelength of the laser pulse, LDFELs can amplify x rays using lower electron energies and over shorter interaction lengths than a traditional free-electron laser. In LDFELs driven by conventional laser pulses, the undulator uniformity required for high gain necessitates large laser-pulse energies. Here, we show that a flying-focus pulse provides the undulator uniformity required to reach high gain with a substantially lower energy than a conventional pulse. The flying-focus pulse features an intensity peak that travels in the opposite direction of its phase fronts. This enables an LDFEL configuration where an electron beam collides head-on with the phase fronts and experiences a near-constant undulator strength as it co-propagates with the intensity peak. Three-dimensional simulations of this configuration demonstrate the generation of megawatts of coherent x-ray radiation with 20 times less energy than a conventional laser pulse. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_12975 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | X-ray free-electron lasing in a flying-focus undulator Ramsey, D. Malaca, B. Simpson, T. T. Formanek, M. Mack, L. S. Vieira, J. Froula, D. H. Palastro, J. P. Plasma Physics Laser-driven free-electron lasers (LDFELs) replace magnetostatic undulators with the electromagnetic fields of a laser pulse. Because the undulator period is half the wavelength of the laser pulse, LDFELs can amplify x rays using lower electron energies and over shorter interaction lengths than a traditional free-electron laser. In LDFELs driven by conventional laser pulses, the undulator uniformity required for high gain necessitates large laser-pulse energies. Here, we show that a flying-focus pulse provides the undulator uniformity required to reach high gain with a substantially lower energy than a conventional pulse. The flying-focus pulse features an intensity peak that travels in the opposite direction of its phase fronts. This enables an LDFEL configuration where an electron beam collides head-on with the phase fronts and experiences a near-constant undulator strength as it co-propagates with the intensity peak. Three-dimensional simulations of this configuration demonstrate the generation of megawatts of coherent x-ray radiation with 20 times less energy than a conventional laser pulse. |
| title | X-ray free-electron lasing in a flying-focus undulator |
| topic | Plasma Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.12975 |