Author: ["N. H. Matlis","S. Reed","S. S. Bulanov","V. Chvykov","G. Kalintchenko","T. Matsuoka","P. Rousseau","V. Yanovsky","A. Maksimchuk","S. Kalmykov","G. Shvets","M. C. Downer"]
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Abstract
Tabletop plasma accelerators can now produce GeV-range electron beams1,2,3,4,5 and femtosecond X-ray pulses6, providing compact radiation sources for medicine, nuclear engineering, materials science and high-energy physics7. In these accelerators, electrons surf on electric fields exceeding 100 GeV m−1, which is more than 1,000 times stronger than achievable in conventional accelerators. These fields are generated within plasma structures (such as Langmuir waves8 or electron density ‘bubbles’9) propagating near light speed behind laser2,3,4 or charged-particle5 driving pulses. Here, we demonstrate single-shot visualization of laser-wakefield accelerator structures for the first time. Our ‘snapshots’ capture the evolution of multiple wake periods, detect structure variations as laser–plasma parameters change, and resolve wavefront curvature; features never previously observed.Cite this article
Matlis, N., Reed, S., Bulanov, S. et al. Snapshots of laser wakefields. Nature Phys 2, 749–753 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys442 