[en] We present a technique for calculating the power coupling efficiency for a laser-driven photonic bandgap structure using electromagnetic finite element simulations, and evaluate the efficiency of several coupling scenarios for the case of a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber accelerator structure.

[en] We report the first successful attempt to generate ultrashort (1-10 ps) relativistic electron bunches characterized by a ramped longitudinal current profile that rises linearly from head to tail and then falls sharply to zero. Bunches with this type of longitudinal shape may be applied to plasma-based accelerator schemes as an optimized drive beam, and to free-electron lasers as a means of reducing asymmetry in microbunching due to slippage. The scheme used to generate the ramped bunches employs an anisochronous dogleg beam line with nonlinear correction elements to compress a beam having an initial positive time-energy chirp. The beam current profile is measured using a deflecting mode cavity, and a pseudoreconstruction of the beam's longitudinal phase space distribution is obtained by using this diagnostic with a residual horizontal dispersion after the dogleg

[en] For 40 years, uniformly filled ellipsoidal beam distributions have been studied theoretically, as they hold the promise of generating self-fields linear in the coordinate offset in all three directions. Recently, a scheme for producing such distributions, based on the strong longitudinal expansion of an initially very short beam under its own space-charge forces, has been proposed. In this Letter we present the experimental demonstration of this scheme, obtained by illuminating the cathode in a rf photogun with an ultrashort laser pulse (∼35 fs rms) with an appropriate transverse profile. The resulting 4 MeV beam spatiotemporal (x,t) distribution is imaged using a rf deflecting cavity with 50 fs resolution. A temporal asymmetry in the ellipsoidal profile, due to image charge effects at the photocathode, is observed at higher charge operation. This distortion is also found to degrade the transverse beam quality

[en] A proof of principle experiment is underway at the UCLA Neptune laboratory to test the concept of generating linearly ramped relativistic electron bunches (rising in density from head to tail followed by a sharp cutoff) by using a sextupole-corrected dogleg section as a bunch compressor. Bunches with this structure have been predicted to be ideal for use as a plasma wake-field drive beam. The diagnostic being developed to measure the time profile of the beam is an X-Band (9.6 GHz) deflecting cavity. The recently completed cavity is a 9-cell standing wave structure operating in a TM110-like mode, designed to measure the temporal structure of the 2 to 10 ps, 14 MeV electron bunches generated by the Neptune S-band photoinjector and plane-wave transformer (PWT) accelerator beamline, with 50 fs resolution. We discuss the experimental plan for the ramped bunch experiment and present preliminary data related to the tuning and operation of the deflecting cavity

[en] Velocity bunching has been recently proposed as a tool for compressing electron beam pulses in modern high brightness photoinjector sources. This tool is familiar from earlier schemes implemented for bunching dc electron sources, but presents peculiar challenges when applied to high current, low emittance beams from photoinjectors. The main difficulty foreseen is control of emittance oscillations in the beam in this scheme, which can be naturally considered as an extension of the emittance compensation process at moderate energies. This paper presents two scenarios in which velocity bunching, combined with emittance control, is to play a role in nascent projects. The first is termed ballistic bunching, where the changing of relative particle velocities and positions occur in distinct regions, a short high gradient linac, and a drift length. This scenario is discussed in the context of the proposed ORION photoinjector. Simulations are used to explore the relationship between the degree of bunching, and the emittance compensation process. Experimental measurements performed at the UCLA Neptune Laboratory of the surprisingly robust bunching process, as well as accompanying deleterious transverse effects, are presented. An unanticipated mechanism for emittance growth in bends for highly momentum chirped beam was identified and studied in these experiments. The second scenario may be designated as phase space rotation, and corresponds closely to the recent proposal of Ferrario and Serafini. Its implementation for the compression of the electron beam pulse length in the PLEIADES inverse Compton scattering (ICS) experiment at LLNL is discussed. It is shown in simulations that optimum compression may be obtained by manipulation of the phases in low gradient traveling wave accelerator sections. Measurements of the bunching and emittance control achieved in such an implementation at PLEIADES, as well as aspects of the use of velocity-bunched beam directly in ICS experiments, are presented

[en] Laser-driven acceleration in dielectric structures can provide gradients on the order of GeV/m. The small transverse dimension and tiny feature sizes introduce challenges in design, fabrication, and simulation studies of these structures. In this paper we present the results of beam dynamic simulation and short range longitudinal wakefield simulation of the double grating structure. We show the linear trend of acceleration in a dielectric accelerator design and calculate the maximum achievable gradient equal to 0.47E₀ where E0 is maximum electric field of the laser excitation. On the other hand, using wakefield simulations, we show that the loss factor of the structure with 400nm gap size will be 0.12GV/m for a 10fC, 100as electron bunch which is an order of magnitude less than expected gradient near damage threshold of the device.

[en] The laser-damage threshold is a fundamental limit for any dielectric laser-driven accelerator and is set by the material of the structure. In this paper, we present a theoretical model of the laser damage mechanism, in comparison with experimental data on the damage threshold of silicon. Additionally, we present damage threshold measurement data of various optical materials, most of which have not been previously characterized in the picosecond-regime.

[en] Recent technological advances has made possible the realization of the first laser-driven particle accelerator structure to be fabricated lithographically. However, a complete particle accelerator requires more than just accelerating elements. In this paper, we present a grating-based design for three other quintessential accelerator elements: the focusing structure, the deflecting structure, and the diagnostic structure.

[en] High transformer ratio operation of the plasma wake field accelerator requires a tailored drive beam current profile followed by a short witness bunch. We discuss techniques for generating the requisite dual bunches and for obtaining the desired drive beam profile, with emphasis on the FACET experiment at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

[en] An Inverse Compton Scattering (ICS) experiment investigating the polarized harmonic production in the nonlinear regime has begun which will utilize the existing terawatt CO2 laser system and 15 MeV photoinjector in the Neptune Laboratory at UCLA. A major motivation for a source of high brightness polarized x-rays is the production of polarized positrons for use in future linear collider experiments. We report on the experimental set-up and status