Despite notable progress in achieving electron energies in the tens and hundreds of megaelectronvolts (MeV) range, the path to multi-gigaelectronvolt (GeV) energies through LWFA remains challenging. Conventional methods, such as those involving external guiding and complex injection strategies, have reached up to 10 GeV, but self-guided LWFA at these energy levels is still largely unexplored. TAU Systems aims to bridge this gap by investigating single-stage LWFA in the ionization-injection regime, leveraging a 100-joule class multi-petawatt laser to test the limits of acceleration without the need for plasma structuring or external guiding.
"Our research aims to uncover the limits of self-guided LWFA and determine how acceleration distance is influenced by plasma density and laser energy," said Bjorn Manuel Hegelich, CEO at TAU Systems. "This experimental campaign at ELI-NP represents a critical step toward optimizing acceleration schemes and maximizing energy extraction for next-generation particle accelerators."
Researchers from TAU Systems and UT Austin, in partnership with ELI-NP scientists, plan to systematically vary gas target properties, acceleration distances, and plasma conditions to explore the fundamental constraints of self-guided LWFA. Depending on these parameters, the team may observe a combination of LWFA and direct laser acceleration or transitions to plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA). These phenomena will be studied through detailed analysis of electron beam spectra, divergence, and the characteristics of betatron-like radiation emitted by the accelerated electrons.
"ELI-NP is home to the world's most powerful laser system, thus enabling new frontiers to be reached in the field of laser-plasma research and related applications," said Calin Alexandru Ur, Director of ELI-NP. "The development of innovative ideas is best fostered through worldwide scientific collaboration, and for this reason, ELI-NP operates as a user facility open to the international scientific community, promoting excellence in research. The collaboration with experts at UT Austin and TAU Systems is expected to result in significant advancements in laser-driven particle acceleration that in turn will pave the way to new applications for the benefit of society."
The results of this research could reshape the future of particle acceleration, providing a foundation for the development of more compact and efficient high-energy accelerators. These advances have potential applications across sectors including space exploration, semiconductor manufacturing, and medical technologies.
"The implications of the experiment are massive. We could rewrite the electron acceleration scaling laws," said Calin Hojbota, Principal Investigator for the proposal and UT Austin representative. "The ELI-NP laser has the highest power of all available lasers, so this is the only location where we can test LWFA in such extreme conditions."
He continued: "From a fundamental physics perspective, this experiment will show us how to accelerate electrons to ultra-high energies, how to wiggle them to produce brilliant gamma-ray beams, and how to prepare them for compact particle colliders. From a practical standpoint, these beams could find novel future applications, for example in mimicking space radiation or developing advanced muon scanners."
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