Published In
Physics of Plasmas
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2026
Subjects
Machine learning, Laser plasma interactions, Particle-in-cell method, Plasma properties and parameters, Plasma acceleration, Gaussian processes
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the effect of spectral pulse shaping of the laser driver on the performance of channel-guided, laser–plasma accelerators. The study was carried out with the assistance of Bayesian optimization using particle-in-cell simulations. We used a realistic plasma profile based on a novel optical-field-ionized channel technique with ionization injection and low, on-axis plasma densities to maximize the energy gain of the electron bunch trailing the laser. Spectral shaping allows us to modify the temporal profile of the laser driver while keeping the laser energy constant, affecting the acceleration and injection processes. In addition, we consider how modifying the plasma channel parameters may affect the target outputs. Given the complexity and breadth of the parameter space in question, we used numerical optimization to identify high-performing configurations. In particular, we found laser profiles with additional spectral content that, when used with optimal plasma channel parameters, result in charge content an order of magnitude higher than the baseline Gaussian case while also increasing the mean energy of the electron bunch.
Rights
Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.1063/5.0318344
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/45243
Citation Details
Djordjević, B. Z., Benedetti, C., McNaughton, A. D., Lehe, R., Tsai, H.-E., Wilks, S. C., Reagan, B. A., Williams, G. J., van Tilborg, J., & Schroeder, C. B. (2026). Bayesian optimization of laser wakefield acceleration via spectral pulse shaping. Physics of Plasmas, 33(6).