Controlled Particle Acceleration in Low-Density Gas Plasma Using THz Standing Waves

Laser-driven particle acceleration has emerged as a promising field in plasma physics, offering compact alternatives to conventional accelerators [1], [2]. While high-energy electron acceleration has been achieved using powerful lasers [3], there is growing interest in more efficient, lower-power schemes for sub-relativistic particle acceleration. Among various techniques [4]–[6], Coulomb explosion acceleration (CEA) stands out. Our research introduces a novel approach to CEA using Standing Wave Charge Separation (SWCS), that is standing waves of counter-propagating THz/laser pulses to separate the electrons and ions of gas plasma [7]. This method offers unique benefits, such as scalability and the ability to use gas plasmas instead of nanoscale solid-state targets, opening new possibilities for particle acceleration in various fields of physics and technology.