Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: We report the first experimental observation of carrier-envelope phase-driven energy bunching in laser wakefield acceleration. Using a few-cycle (~9 fs), multi-terawatt laser pulse and ionization injection in a helium-nitrogen gas mixture, we observe electron spectra composed of multiple quasi-monoenergetic peaks with regular narrow energy spacing. This comb structure arises from intermittent injection from successive half-cycles of the laser field, enabled by the evolving carrier-envelope phase during propagation in the plasma. These findings establish sub-cycle ionization injection as a potential route to attosecond control in plasma acceleration, enabling injection and beam structuring synchronized to the optical waveform on sub-femtosecond timescales.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Angella, A., Löfquist, E., Gustafsson, C., Poulain, V., D'Souza, F., Guo, C., Persson, A., Eng-Johnsson, P., Wahlström, C. -G., Lundh, O.
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6979263123
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