Low energy spread electron beams from ionization injection in a weakly relativistic laser wakefield accelerator

We show via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations that low energy spread, relativistic electron beams (>120MeV, <15%) can be produced in the weakly non-linear regime of a plasma wakefield, driven by a moderate power laser pulse (initial a(0) < 1). Higher ionization states of a high-Z trace species, mixed in a background H plasma, provide the source of injected electrons. Injection occurs even though the laser intensity is initially well below the trapping threshold, as it is found that the laser pulse evolves until it fulfils the trapping requirements through self-compression. By careful control of intensity and density, the amount of evolution and hence of trapping can be controlled. Acceleration is terminated by depletion due to the extended evolution time, leading to narrow energy spread features even for long interaction lengths. Particle tracking shows that electrons 'born' at the periphery of the laser pulse are more likely to follow smoother trajectories inside the wakefield and subsequently to be trapped and accelerated.