Attosecond electron bunch generation by an intense high-order harmonic pulse interacting with a thin target

Abstract

Laser-accelerated electron bunches and the secondary radiation sources they produce exhibit unique temporal resolution for probing ultrafast physical processes due to their ultrashort pulse duration. The inherently short temporal profile of these pulses leads to extremely high peak bunch currents, thereby enabling a wide range of practical applications. In this study, we propose an innovative method for generating such bunch by utilizing high-harmonics generated through laser-plasma interaction as the driving pulse, which subsequently interacts with a thin target to produce an attosecond electron bunch. Using this method, we successfully generated an electron bunch characterized by excellent collimation and an ultra-short duration of approximately 100 attoseconds, representing a substantial reduction in bunch duration. The total bunch charge achieved was 0.38 nC, with an emittance of $4.5 \times 10^{-3} \, \text{mm} \cdot \text{mrad}$ and a divergence angle of approximately $10^\circ$. Moreover, by systematically analyzing the effects of laser intensity and target positioning, we determined an optimized set of simulation parameters. This research establishes a robust foundation for the generation of ultrashort electron bunches and opens new prospects for their application in advanced high-energy and attosecond physics experiments.