Enhanced plasma wave excitation in a tapered plasma channel through chirped laser beatwaves

Abstract

The excitation of plasma waves by the beatwave of two-color laser beams within a tapered plasma channel has been investigated both analytically and through particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. This study presents a promising approach for beatwave accelerators. The design aims to achieve a more stable and enhanced plasma wave amplitude, even under non-resonant conditions, compared to untapered channels. For the analytical description, we solved the plasma wave equation generated by two beating laser beams propagating through a tapered channel with a linear radial density profile. The study further validates its results by comparing the analytical predictions with PIC simulations of the beatwave phenomenon in the tapered channel. The findings confirm that this design significantly enhances plasma wave amplitude compared to untapered channels. In addition, we demonstrated that employing a chirped laser pulse with a fast rise time can significantly increase the strength of the plasma wave. © 2025 Author(s).