Improving the energy-extraction efficiency of laser-plasma accelerator driven free-electron laser using transverse-gradient undulator with focusing optics and longitudinal tapering

It is reported that [Z. Huang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 204801 (2012)], high-gain free-electron laser (FEL) can be generated by transverse-dispersed electron beams from laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs) using transverse-gradient undulator (TGU) assuming an ideal constant dispersion function without focusing optics. The constant dispersion function keeps electrons beyond the resonant energy bandwidth still being on resonant with the FEL radiation. Instead, in this paper, the case with focusing optics in an LPA-driven FEL using TGU is numerically studied, in which the dispersion function should be monotonously decreasing along the undulator. Even though the FEL resonance is not always satisfied for off-energy electrons in this case, through subtly optimizing the initial dispersion and focusing parameters, it is feasible to achieve a similar radiation power to the case assuming an ideal constant dispersion function without focusing optics, and meanwhile, to attain a good transverse coherence. Moreover, higher radiation power could be expected if longitudinally tapering, transverse-gradient variation in different sections are systematically conducted, which is demonstrated with intense global multiparameters optimizations based on GENESIS simulation.