Ponderomotive electron–light interactions in multi-electron pulses
Abstract
Abstract We investigate the impact of space-charge effects on the ponderomotive interaction between electron pulses and laser fields in the context of ponderomotive lenses. We present a numerical framework that self-consistently models both the ponderomotive electron–light interaction and the electron–electron Coulomb repulsion within multi-electron, ultrashort pulses. By comparing these simulations with a single-electron, wave-based description, we demonstrate that space-charge effects significantly degrade the performance of ponderomotive lenses for electron beam shaping and focusing. Our results show that this deterioration appears already at very low bunch charges, setting clear limits for the manipulation of dense electron pulses with ponderomotive optics.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Particle Accelerators and Free-Electron Lasers
Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications
Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications
Publication details
- Journal / source
- New Journal of Physics
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 024101–024101
- Publication date
- 1 February 2026
- Language
- EN