Electron bunch length measurements from laser-accelerated electrons using single-shot THz time-domain interferometry


Electron bunch length measurements from laser-accelerated electrons using single-shot THz time-domain interferometry

Debus, A. D.; Bussmann, M.; Schramm, U.; Sauerbrey, R.; Murphy, C. D.; Major, Z.; Hörlein, R.; Veisz, L.; Schmid, K.; Schreiber, J.; Witte, K.; Jamison, S. P.; Gallacher, J. G.; Jaroszynski, D. A.; Kaluza, M. C.; Hidding, B.; Kiselev, S.; Heathcote, R.; Foster, P. S.; Neely, D.; Divall, E. J.; Hooker, C. J.; Smith, J. M.; Ertel, K.; Langley, A. J.; Norreys, P.; Collier, J. L.; Karsch, S.

Laser-plasma wakefield based electron accelerators are expected to deliver ultrashort electron bunches with and unprecedented peak currents. However, their actual pulse duration has never been directly measured in a single-shot experiment.
We present measurements of the ultrashort duration of such electron bunches by means of THz time-domain interferometry. With data obtained using a 0.5J, 45fs, 800nm laser and a ZnTe-based electro-optical setup we demonstrate the duration of laser-accelerated, quasi-monoenergetic electron bunches (best fit of 32fs (FWHM) with a 90% upper confidence level of 38fs) to be shorter than the drive laser pulse, but similar to the plasma period.

Keywords: electron bunch length measurement coherent transition radiation laser plasma wakefield acceleration

  • Physical Review Letters 104(2010), 084802
    DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.084802
    Cited 71 times in Scopus
  • Lecture (Conference)
    DPG Tagung 2010, 08.-12.03.2010, Hannover, Deutschland
  • Lecture (Conference)
    TR18-Treffen Bad Breisig, 04.03.-05.05.2010, Bad Breisig, Deutschland

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-13722
Publ.-Id: 13722