Wavefront-Guided Electron Injection for Direct Laser Acceleration in Relativistic Laser-Driven Plasma Channel
Abstract
We investigate electron injection into direct laser acceleration (DLA) in relativistic laser-driven plasma channels using particle-in-cell simulations. We identify and characterize a wavefront-guided injection mechanism, in which electrons are continuously fed into the plasma channel through the density pile-up layer at the laser-pulse front. Phase-space analysis reveals a localized injectable region within the pile-up layer, indicating that only a selected subset of electrons satisfies the conditions required for the subsequent direct laser acceleration. This mechanism provides a physical interpretation for the high-charge capability of DLA by explaining how electrons are continuously supplied to the accelerating channel. Beyond this continuous supply process, the injection dynamics are further modulated by the periodic variation of the carrier phase at the laser-pulse front. The spatial locations of injected electrons are found to be closely associated with magnetic-island structures formed under laser-phase modulation, suggesting that the laser wavefront not only supplies electrons but also organizes their entry into the accelerating channel. These findings advance the physical understanding of energetic-electron generation in relativistic laser-driven subcritical-density plasma channels and are relevant to the development of compact DLA-based particle and radiation sources.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{wang2026wavefrontguided,
title = {{Wavefront-Guided Electron Injection for Direct Laser Acceleration in Relativistic Laser-Driven Plasma Channel}},
author = {Heng Wang and Liang Sheng and Long Zeng and Yang Li and Zheng Gong},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.22211},
eprint = {2608.22211},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.22211},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Wavefront-Guided Electron Injection for Direct Laser Acceleration in Relativistic Laser-Driven Plasma Channel
AU - Heng Wang
AU - Liang Sheng
AU - Long Zeng
AU - Yang Li
AU - Zheng Gong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/23
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.22211
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.22211
AB - We investigate electron injection into direct laser acceleration (DLA) in relativistic laser-driven plasma channels using particle-in-cell simulations. We identify and characterize a wavefront-guided injection mechanism, in which electrons are continuously fed into the plasma channel through the density pile-up layer at the laser-pulse front. Phase-space analysis reveals a localized injectable region within the pile-up layer, indicating that only a selected subset of electrons satisfies the conditions required for the subsequent direct laser acceleration. This mechanism provides a physical interpretation for the high-charge capability of DLA by explaining how electrons are continuously supplied to the accelerating channel. Beyond this continuous supply process, the injection dynamics are further modulated by the periodic variation of the carrier phase at the laser-pulse front. The spatial locations of injected electrons are found to be closely associated with magnetic-island structures formed under laser-phase modulation, suggesting that the laser wavefront not only supplies electrons but also organizes their entry into the accelerating channel. These findings advance the physical understanding of energetic-electron generation in relativistic laser-driven subcritical-density plasma channels and are relevant to the development of compact DLA-based particle and radiation sources.
ER -