Electron acceleration influenced by sinh-Gaussian laser pulses in a prepared ion channel

The acceleration of electron in a produced ion channel is studied theoretically using a sinh-Gaussian (shG) laser pulse with radial polarization. Compared to Gaussian laser pulses, shG laser pulses propagate differently, presenting as a bright ring encircling a dark hollow core that inhibits early focusing and promotes self-defocusing. They can therefore be used to accelerate electrons to extremely high energies. The electron energy gain is influenced by the laser pulse decentred parameter linked to the shG function, however, the ion stream's electric field prevents the transverse oscillations from pushing electrons out of the interaction zone. With a decentred parameter of similar to 2.15 and a laser pulse intensity value of similar to 1020 Wcm -2 incident on density of similar to 1022 m -3, where the incident pulse phase is psi 0 = 0, the combined effect of ion channelling and radially polarized (RP) shG laser pulses leads to a significant enhancement of electron energy gain within the ion density channel to the GeV level.