Nonlinear parametric resonance of relativistic electrons with a linearly polarized laser pulse in a plasma channel

The direct laser-acceleration mechanism, nonlinear parametric resonance, of relativistic electrons in a linearly polarized laser-produced plasma channel is examined by a self-consistent model including the relativistic laser dispersion in plasmas. Nonlinear parametric resonance can be excited, and t...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Huang, T, Zhou, C, Robinson, A, Qiao, B, Arefiev, A, Norreys, P, He, X, Ruan, S
Format: Journal article
Published: American Institute of Physics 2017
Subjects:
Description
Summary:The direct laser-acceleration mechanism, nonlinear parametric resonance, of relativistic electrons in a linearly polarized laser-produced plasma channel is examined by a self-consistent model including the relativistic laser dispersion in plasmas. Nonlinear parametric resonance can be excited, and the oscillation amplitude of electrons grows exponentially when the betatron frequency of electron motion varies roughly twice the natural frequency of the oscillator. It is shown analytically that the region of parametric resonance is defined by the self-similar parameter ne/nca0. The width of this region decreases with ne/nca0, but the energy gain and oscillation amplitude increases. In this regime, the electron transverse momentum grows faster than that in the linear classical resonance regime.