Staged Laser Wakefield Accelerator: Dual Capillary Discharge with Plasma Lens Coupling

70397 The gradients associated with plasma-based accelerators are much larger than those for conventional accelerators. Therefore, higher energies are possible at a much lower cost than would be incurred using conventional technology. However, single stage plasma accelerators are generally only a few centimeters long, and multiple stages would be required in the design of plasma-based accelerators. This project will design and build a two-stage laser wakefield accelerator. The accelerating structure will be a plasma wave driven in a plasma channel by a short pulse laser. Two such channels with different densities will be produced in two capillary discharges. The two channels will be optically coupled using a plasma lens. During Phase I, the two-stage structure will be designed. Analysis and simulations will be employed to study issues of injection, guiding, acceleration, and diagnostics. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The plasma lens should have commercial application as an element for the control and manipulation of high intensity laser pulses. The accelerator itself could find applications in, e.g., free electron sources of radiation.