Precise pointing control of high-energy electron beam from laser wakefield acceleration using an aperture

We demonstrated the precise directional control of high-energy electron beams of several hundred MeV by moving a circular serrated aperture smaller than the laser diameter perpendicular to the laser propagation direction before the final focusing optics in a laser system. This technique is simple and effective because the direction of the electron beam can be precisely controlled without any additional manipulation of the optics in the laser system and the gas target. This will be a useful guideline and of great significance for the future development towards practical uses and applications of laser–plasma accelerators.