Design and Interpretation of Colliding Pulse Injected Laser-Plasma Acceleration Experiments.

The use of colliding laser pulses to control the injection of plasma electrons into the plasma wake of a laser-plasma accelerator is a promising approach to obtaining GeV scale electron bunches with reduced emittance and energy spread. Colliding Pulse Injection (CPI) experiments are being performed by groups around the world. We present recent particle-in-cell simulations, using the parallel VORPAL framework, of CPI for physical parameters relevant to ongoing experiments of the LOASIS program at LBNL. We perform parameter scans in order to optimize the quality of the bunch, and compare the results with experimental data. Effect of non-ideal gaussian pulses and laser self-focusing in the plasma channel on the trapped bunch are evaluated. For optimized parameters accessible in the experiment, a 20 pC electron beam can be accelerated to 300 MeV with percent level energy spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]