Optical control of hard X-ray polarization by electron injection in a laser wakefield accelerator

Michael Schnell (), Alexander Sävert, Ingo Uschmann, Maria Reuter, Maria Nicolai, Tino Kämpfer, Björn Landgraf, Oliver Jäckel, Oliver Jansen, Alexander Pukhov, Malte Christoph Kaluza and Christian Spielmann
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Michael Schnell: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Alexander Sävert: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Ingo Uschmann: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Maria Reuter: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Maria Nicolai: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Tino Kämpfer: Helmholtz Institute Jena
Björn Landgraf: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Oliver Jäckel: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Oliver Jansen: Institute for Theoretical Physics 1, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf
Alexander Pukhov: Institute for Theoretical Physics 1, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf
Malte Christoph Kaluza: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University
Christian Spielmann: Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Abbe-Center of Photonics, Friedrich Schiller University

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Laser-plasma particle accelerators could provide more compact sources of high-energy radiation than conventional accelerators. Moreover, because they deliver radiation in femtosecond pulses, they could improve the time resolution of X-ray absorption techniques. Here we show that we can measure and control the polarization of ultra-short, broad-band keV photon pulses emitted from a laser-plasma-based betatron source. The electron trajectories and hence the polarization of the emitted X-rays are experimentally controlled by the pulse-front tilt of the driving laser pulses. Particle-in-cell simulations show that an asymmetric plasma wave can be driven by a tilted pulse front and a non-symmetric intensity distribution of the focal spot. Both lead to a notable off-axis electron injection followed by collective electron–betatron oscillations. We expect that our method for an all-optical steering is not only useful for plasma-based X-ray sources but also has significance for future laser-based particle accelerators.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3421

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