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Coherent terahertz and millimeter wave radiation from laser accelerated electron bunches has been measured. The bunches were produced by tightly focusing (spot diameter ~; 6 mu m) a high peak power (up to 10W), ultra-short (>50 fs) laser pulse from a high repetition rate (10 Hz) laser system (0.8 mu m), onto a high density (>1019 cm3) pulsed gas jet of length ~; 1.5 mm. As the electrons exit the plasma, coherent transition radiation is generated at the plasma-vacuum boundary for wavelengths long compared to the bunch length. Radiation in the 0.3 -19 THz range and at 94 GHz has been measured and found to depend quadratically on the bunch charge. The measured radiated energy for two different collection angles is in good agreement with theory. Modeling indicates that optimization of this table-top source could provide more than 100 mu J/pulse. Together with intrinsic synchronization to the laser pulse, this will enable numerous applications requiring intense terahertz radiation. This radiation can also be used as a powerful tool for measuring the properties of laser accelerated bunches at the exit of the plasma accelerator. Preliminary spectral measurements indicates that bunches as short as 30 - 50 fs have been produced in these laser driven accelerators.

Coherent THz radiation was produced from relativistic electron bunches of subpicosecond duration. The electron beam was produced by strongly focused (approx. equal to 6 mu-m), high peak power (up to 10 TW), ultra-short (> or = to 50 fs) laser pulses of a 10 Hz repetition rate Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplification (CPA) laser system via self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration (SM-LWFA) in a high density (> 1019 cm-3) pulsed gas jet. As the electrons exit the plasma, coherent transition radiation is generated at the plasma-vacuum boundary for wavelengths long compared to the bunch length. Radiation yield in the 0.3 to 19 THz range and at 94 GHz has been measured and found to depend quadratically on the bunch charge. The measured total radiated energy in the THz range for two different collection angles is in good agreement with theory. Modeling indicates that optimization of this table-top source could provide more than 100 mu-J/pulse. Together with intrinsic synchronization to the laser pulse, this will enable numerous applications requiring intense terahertz radiation. This radiation can also be applied as a useful tool for measuring the properties of laser accelerated bunches at the exit of the plasma accelerator.

Two double-focusing magnetic specrometers will be used to momentum analyze the electron beam produced by the l'OASIS laser plasma wakefield accelerator. One spectrometer, based on a round pole magnet, has an operating range up to 50 MeV/c, with a resolution in the 1 - 2 percent range. The other spectrometer, based on a wedge dipole magnet, has better resolution (about 0.5 percent) but an operating range limited to below 18 MeV/c. This note describes the optical design of the spectrometers, and provides detailed estimates of performance features such as dynamic range, operating range, calibration, resolution, acceptance, and aberrations.