Parametric study of laser wakefield driven generation of intense sub-cycle pulses

Abstract Intense sub-cycle electromagnetic pulses allow one to drive nonlinear processes in matter with unprecedented levels of control. However, it remains challenging scale such sources the relativistic regime. Recently, a scheme that utilizes laser-driven wakes plasmas amplify and compress seed laser produce tunable, carrier-envelope-phase stable, has been proposed. Here, we present parametric studies this process using particle-in-cell simulations, showing its robustness over wide range experimentally accessible laser-plasma interaction parameters, spanning more than two orders magnitude background plasma density. The method is shown work different gas-jet profiles, including structured density profiles robust relatively driver intensities. Our study shows up 10mJ energy can be produced.