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@PHDTHESIS{Farace:625675,
author = {Farace, Bonaventura},
othercontributors = {Leemans, Wim},
title = {{D}evelopment of high-average-power laser plasma
accelerators driven by industrial {Y}b lasers},
school = {University of Hamburg},
type = {Dissertation},
reportid = {PUBDB-2025-01174},
pages = {160},
year = {2024},
note = {Dissertation, University of Hamburg, 2024},
abstract = {Over the past two decades, laser plasma accelerators (LPAs)
have emerged as a groundbreakingtechnology with immense
potential for electron acceleration. Their ability to
sustainexceptionally high accelerating gradients, on the
order of 100 GV/m, and provide electronbunches with only few
femtoseconds duration, promises a compact, cost-effective
solutionfor numerous industrial, commercial, and medical
applications. Yet, to transitionfrom experimental setups to
practical applications, it is crucial to enhance their
robustness,reliability, and repetition rate. In this
context, industrial-quality
Ytterbium:Yttriumaluminium-garnet (Yb:YAG) lasers present an
ideal, economically-efficient option, thanksto their
inherently small quantum defect, high slope efficiency and
high average power.This thesis explores the feasibility of
using industrial Yb:YAG lasers as drivers for
plasmaaccelerators. Typically, these lasers deliver pulses
of relatively long duration, extending tothe
picosecond-level. However, to excite a plasma wave,
femtosecond durations are usuallyrequired. Hence, the
temporal compression of the laser output to a few optical
cycles is thefirst critical aspect under analysis. To
address this challenge, an efficient double
multi-passcell(MPC) post-compression scheme is employed,
achieving the highest-ever compressionfactor to date for a
10 mJ-level pulse.In addition to the driver laser, the
plasma source plays a key role in the laser-plasma
interaction,shaping the plasma density profile. Therefore,
an extensive analysis of the mostcommon sources for
high-average-power LPA is presented. To overcome the
limitationsusually faced, a novel microfluidic source is
proposed with unique capabilities for precisetailoring of
the plasma profile along the laser axis, at the μm level.
Its exceptional finetuningability is demonstrated through a
pioneering Bayesian optimisation tool, combiningfluid
dynamics and particle-in-cell simulations. This novel
optimisation approach holdsthe promise to significantly
boost the performances of LPA, particularly in
applicationorientedscenarios.Finally, the post-compressed
laser output is used to demonstrate, for the first time,
aplasma wakefield driven by an industrial Yb:YAGlaser. The
laser-plasma interaction is thoroughlyanalysed and a clear
path towards the first industrial-laser-drivem electron
accelerationis presented.},
cin = {MPL},
cid = {I:(DE-H253)MPL-20120731},
pnm = {621 - Accelerator Research and Development (POF4-621) /
PHGS, VH-GS-500 - PIER Helmholtz Graduate School
$(2015_IFV-VH-GS-500)$},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-621 / $G:(DE-HGF)2015_IFV-VH-GS-500$},
experiment = {EXP:(DE-H253)PLASMA-20250101},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)11},
urn = {urn:nbn:de:gbv:18-ediss-120921},
doi = {10.3204/PUBDB-2025-01174},
url = {https://bib-pubdb1.desy.de/record/625675},
}