One-to-one full-scale simulations of laser-wakefield acceleration using QuickPIC

Abstract

We use the quasi-static particle-in-cell (PIC) code QuickPIC to perform full-scale one-to-one laser-waketield acceleration (LWFA) numerical experiments, with parameters that closely follow current experimental conditions. The propagation of state-of-the-art laser pulses in both preformed and uniform plasma channels is examined. We show that the presence of the channel is important whenever the laser self-modulations do not dominate the propagation. We examine the acceleration of an externally injected electron beam in the wake generated by similar to 10-J laser pulses, showing that, by using 10-cm-scale plasma channels, it is possible to accelerate electrons to more than 4 GeV. A comparison between QuickPIC and 2-D OSIRIS is provided. Good qualitative agreement between the two codes is found, but the 2-D full PIC simulations fail to predict the correct laser and wakefield amplitudes.