Generation of dense relativistic electron beams via vortex laser-driven self-generated magnetic pinching

Abstract

In multi-petawatt laser plasma accelerators, achieving high-density relativistic electron beams is typically accompanied by large transverse divergence, limiting the attainable effective electron density needed for high-flux interaction regimes relevant to laboratory astrophysics. Here we report experimental demonstration of self-generated magnetic pinching (SMP), a collective mechanism that actively regulates transverse beam dynamics using a Laguerre-Gaussian laser at strong relativistic intensity (~8 x 10^19 W/cm^2) interacting with an underdense plasma. The electron beam evolves from a two-lobe high-charge injection structure into a compressed, high-density profile, yielding a threefold reduction in divergence and nearly an order-of-magnitude enhancement in effective beam density compared with a Gaussian driver. Particle-in-cell simulations agree with the experimental observations and reveal that a self-generated azimuthal magnetic field governs the electron dynamics within the SMP regime, which is defined by the forming condition S = 0.717 l a0 [ne(10^18 cm^-3)]^-3/4 = 1, where l, a0, and ne are topological charge, laser amplitude, and plasma density, respectively. A transient kick from a dense inner sheath electron population drives collective magnetic pinching, transforming an initially separated electron distribution into a compressed and well-collimated beam. For higher-power laser systems, the forming condition can be extended to higher plasma densities and larger orbital angular momentum modes, potentially enabling electron beams with charges exceeding several nC and effective densities above 10^19 cm^-3. This mechanism provides a route to overcoming transverse expansion and enhancing rare interaction processes relevant to high-flux particle sources.