Plasma-photonic spatiotemporal synchronization of relativistic electron
and laser beams
- Author(s): Scherkl, Paul
- Knetsch, Alexander
- Heinemann, Thomas
- Sutherland, Andrew
- Habib, Ahmad Fahim
- Karger, Oliver
- Ullmann, Daniel
- Beaton, Andrew
- Kirwan, Gavin
- Manahan, Grace
- Xi, Yunfeng
- Deng, Aihua
- Litos, Michael Dennis
- OShea, Brendan D
- Green, Selina Z
- Clarke, Christine I
- Andonian, Gerard
- Assmann, Ralph
- Jaroszynski, Dino A
- Bruhwiler, David L
- Smith, Jonathan
- Cary, John R
- Hogan, Mark J
- Yakimenko, Vitaly
- Rosenzweig, James B
- Hidding, Bernhard
- et al.
Abstract
Modern particle accelerators and their applications increasingly rely on precisely coordinated interactions of intense charged particle and laser beams. Femtosecond-scale synchronization alongside micrometre-scale spatial precision are essential e.g. for pump-probe experiments, seeding and diagnostics of advanced light sources and for plasma-based accelerators. State-of-the-art temporal or spatial diagnostics typically operate with low-intensity beams to avoid material damage at high intensity. As such, we present a plasma-based approach, which allows measurement of both temporal and spatial overlap of high-intensity beams directly at their interaction point. It exploits amplification of plasma afterglow arising from the passage of an electron beam through a laser-generated plasma filament. The corresponding photon yield carries the spatiotemporal signature of the femtosecond-scale dynamics, yet can be observed as a visible light signal on microsecond-millimetre scales.
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