Relativistic Electron Beam Slicing by Wakefiled in Plasmas

A method of slicing of high-energy electron beams following their interaction with the transverse component of the wakefield left in a plasma behind a high intensity ultra short laser pulse is proposed. The transverse component of the wakefield focuses a portion of the electron bunch, which experiences betatron oscillations. The length of the focused part of the electron bunch can be made substantially less than the wakefield wavelength.