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Polarization effect of fields on vacuum laser acceleration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2007

J.J. XU
Affiliation:
Applied Ion Beam Physical Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Q. KONG
Affiliation:
Applied Ion Beam Physical Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Z. CHEN
Affiliation:
Applied Ion Beam Physical Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
P.X. WANG
Affiliation:
Applied Ion Beam Physical Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
W. WANG
Affiliation:
Shanghai Institute of Laser Plasma, Shanghai, China
D. LIN
Affiliation:
Applied Ion Beam Physical Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Y.K. HO
Affiliation:
Applied Ion Beam Physical Laboratory, Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

Abstract

Concerning laser-driven electron acceleration in vacuum, a comparison was made between using circularly polarized (CP) laser field and linearly polarized (LP) field. It has been found that the main advantage for using CP field is that its acceleration channel occupies relatively larger phase space, which can give rise to greater acceleration efficiency. This feature chiefly comes from the difference in the distribution of the longitudinal electric components of these two kinds of fields. One of the disadvantages with CP field is the “energy saturation” phenomenon as the laser intensity is sufficiently high, resulting from the enhanced Lorentz force component in CP field. Physical explanations of these characteristics are addressed as well.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

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