Inverse Compton gamma-ray source driven by a plasma flying mirror

Abstract

All-optical sources of inverse Compton scattering can deliver X- and gamma-rays with ultrashort duration, small size, and ultrahigh brilliance, having attracted great attention worldwide. Here, we study the possibility of a novel scheme for a Compton gamma-ray source based on the combination of relativistic electrons from laser-wakefield acceleration and a plasma flying mirror (PFM). In this all-optical setup, an intense laser pulse accelerates electrons to relativistic energies and is then reflected and amplified simultaneously by the PFM driven by another counter-propagating high-intensity pulse. The back-reflected laser pulse is scattered by the energetic electrons, resulting in the gamma photon emission. In the one-dimensional (1D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, the laser reflected by PFM can get much higher intensity due to the relativistic Doppler effect and generate high-energy gamma photons when colliding with the electrons, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction. However, because of the lateral instability, the significant amplification of the reflected laser is weakened in the 2D simulation. Compared to the simulation without PFM, the maximum energy of the emitted photons is increased by 100 MeV, and the yield of high-energy photons with energies between 100 and 400 MeV is also increased.