SLAC PROPOSAL E-163 August 24, 2001 Laser Acceleration of Electrons in Vacuum

Laser-powered acceleration of charged particles promises extraordinary acceleration gradients due to the immense power available from lasers. This possibility has led to many proposed structures for laser acceleration; however, the field of vacuum laser acceleration is almost wholly unexplored experimentally. Recent advances in laser efficiency and phase synchronization have made possible a practical laser accelerator and are a strong motivation for this experiment. We propose to investigate the physical mechanism and technical viability of laser linear acceleration in vacuum. We propose to experimentally test electron bunching at optical wavelengths, a key step in developing particle sources for laser accelerators, and to devise and test lithographic structures suitable for staged laser acceleration. This proposal is part of a larger research effort including efficient mode-locked laser development and advanced lithographic structure development. We request some modifications to the NLCTA (Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator) and the construction of a small facility for performing laser acceleration experiments.