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Improving electron beam quality in laser wakefield acceleration by using a plasma channel with an up-ramp density profile |
| Xin-Hui Wen(温昕辉)1,2, Xin-Zhe Zhu(祝昕哲)1,2, Mo Li(李墨)1, Jian Gao(高健)1,2, Bo-Yuan Li(李博原)1,2,†, Jian-Long Li(李建龙)1,2, Lin-Lu(鲁林)1,2, Ze-Wu Bi(毕择武)1,2, Wen-Chao Yan(闫文超)1,2, Feng Liu(刘峰)1,2, and Min Chen(陈民)1,2,‡ |
1 State Key Laboratory of Dark Matter Physics, Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
2 Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China |
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Abstract Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) is a promising way for producing GeV-scale electron beams within a tabletop size. Increasing acceleration energy and reducing energy spread are extremely important for many applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that using a plasma channel with a longitudinally up-ramp density profile can simultaneously boost the accelerated electron energy and lower the final beam energy spread. In a plasma channel with uniform plasma density, electron beams with a peak energy of 250 MeV and a large energy spread (~40%) were obtained. In contrast, within a plasma channel of the same length with an up-ramp density profile, stable electron beams with energies up to 1 GeV and a small energy spread (~20%) were observed. Particle-in-cell simulations show that the plasma channel not only suppresses laser diffraction, but also affects the self-injection and acceleration of the electron beam. In the up-ramp plasma channel, the continual electron injection is suppressed and electrons can be locked in the acceleration phase for a longer duration, which leads to the reduction of energy spread and the increase of electron energy. This method provides a relatively simple and reliable way toward compact, high-performance tabletop electron accelerators.
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Received: 26 January 2026
Revised: 06 February 2026
Accepted manuscript online: 27 February 2026
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PACS:
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52.38.-r
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(Laser-plasma interactions)
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41.75.Jv
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(Laser-driven acceleration?)
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42.65.Wi
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(Nonlinear waveguides)
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| Fund: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 12225505 and 11991074), Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2030 Initiative, Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Disciplines Breakthrough Plan of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. JYB2025XDXM204), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB0530303), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFA1601700), and Al for Science Program, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization (Grant No. 2025-GZL-RGZNBTBX-02029). |
Corresponding Authors:
Bo-Yuan Li, Min Chen
E-mail: liby1990@sjtu.edu.cn;minchen@sjtu.edu.cn
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Cite this article:
Xin-Hui Wen(温昕辉), Xin-Zhe Zhu(祝昕哲), Mo Li(李墨), Jian Gao(高健), Bo-Yuan Li(李博原), Jian-Long Li(李建龙), Lin-Lu(鲁林), Ze-Wu Bi(毕择武), Wen-Chao Yan(闫文超), Feng Liu(刘峰), and Min Chen(陈民) Improving electron beam quality in laser wakefield acceleration by using a plasma channel with an up-ramp density profile 2026 Chin. Phys. B 35 065203
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