High Flux Electron Beams from Laser Wakefield Accelerators Driven by Petawatt Lasers

Abstract

Laser Wakefield Accelerator (LWFA) is considered as one of the most competitive candidates for the accelerators of the next generation. With the development of high power laser technologies, LWFA has shown its potential of replacing the conventional radio-frequency (RF) accelerators due to its flexibility and adjustability. In this paper, we will study the potential high flux electron beam productions of LWFA driven by petawatt-level laser pulses. In our three dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, an optimal set of parameters gives $\sim 40\ \rm nC$ of charge with $2\ \rm PW$ laser power, thus $\sim 400\ \rm kA$ of instantaneous current if we assume the electron beam duration is 100 fs. This high flux and its secondary radiation are widely applicable in nuclear and QED physics, industrial imaging, medical and biological studies.