• M. Fuchs, S. Becker, F.J. Grüner, D. Habs, R. Weingartner
  LMU, Garching
• S.M. Hooker
  University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford
• S. Karsch, F. Krausz, Z. Major, A. Popp
  MPQ, Garching, Munich
• J. Osterhoff
  LBNL, Berkeley, California
• U. Schramm
  FZD, Dresden

Latest developments in the field of laser-wakefield acceleration (LWFA) have led to relatively stable electron beams in terms of peak energy, charge, pointing and divergence [1–3]. Electron beams with energies of up to 1 GeV have been produced from only few-centimeters long acceleration distances [4]. Driving undulators with these electron beams holds promise for producing brilliant X-ray sources on the university-laboratory scale. In this talk, we will present an experimental breakthrough on this path: our laser-driven soft-X-ray undulator source [5]. In the second part of the talk, we will discuss the physics behind the unique characteristics of laser-wakefield accelerated electron beams such as the intrinsic ltrashort pulse duration (expected to be about 10 fs) and the low normalized transverse emittances (expected to be < pi mm mrad). The properties of state-of-the-art wakefield accelerators as well as their limits will be discussed. Finally new schemes to overcome those limits and further improve the beam quality will be presented.

[1] Mangles, S. P. D. et al. in Nature 431, 535–538 (2004).
[2] Geddes, C. G. R. et al. in Nature 431, 538–541 (2004).
[3] Faure, J. et al. in Nature 431, 541–544 (2004).

Slides