When an intense laser pulse interacts with a gaseous target, the gas atoms are ionized and a plasma is created. Under certain conditions, the laser pulse generates a wakefield in the plasma, which can be used for electron acceleration [1]. Such accelerators are capable of accelerating electrons to GeV energies over just a few cm [2]. For comparison, conventional accelerators require distances exceeding a km to achieve the same energy.
Within the scope of this topic, the student will familiarize themself with methods for computer modeling of laser-driven electron accelerators in plasma. The goal of the work is to identify key laser and plasma parameters that influence acceleration and to apply machine learning methods to maximize the energy of the electron beam with respect to these parameters. The topic will be realized in collaboration with ELI Beamlines.
[1] E. Esarey et al., Rev. Mod. Phys. 81, 1229 (2009).
[2] A. Picksley et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 255001 (2024).