Downramp-assisted underdense photocathode electron bunch generation in plasma wakefield accelerators

Author(s): Knetsch, Alexander; Karger, Oliver; Wittig, Georg; Groth, Henning; Xi, Yunfeng; Deng, Aihua; Rosenzweig, James Benjamin; Bruhwiler, David Leslie; Smith, Johnathan; Jaroszynski, Dino Anthony; Sheng, Zheng-Ming; Manahan, Grace Gloria; Xia, Guoxing; Jamison, Steven; Hidding, Bernhard | Abstract: It is shown that the requirements for high quality electron bunch generation and trapping from an underdense photocathode in plasma wakefield accelerators can be substantially relaxed through localizing it on a plasma density downramp. This depresses the phase velocity of the accelerating electric field until the generated electrons are in phase, allowing for trapping in shallow trapping potentials. As a consequence the underdense photocathode technique is applicable by a much larger number of accelerator facilities. Furthermore, dark current generation is effectively suppressed.