Electron Injection and Beam Dynamics in a Laser Wakefield Acceleration Driven by Laser Pulses Carrying Orbital Angular Momentum

Abstract

Laser pulses carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) provide a new degree of freedom for controlling plasma-based accelerators. Here, we demonstrate experimentally laser wakefield acceler- ation driven by OAM laser pulses, producing electron beams with distinct broad-band energy spectra and angularly structured phase space. The measured spectra exhibit a two-beamlet structure with correlated angular dispersion, indicating injection occurring at multiple azimuthal phases of the plasma wake. Particle-in-cell simulations reproduced the observed spectral features and revealed helical electron trajectories driven by the OAM-induced wakefields. These results show that the phase structure of the laser driver can shape electron injection and acceleration dynamics, opening a route toward optimal control of beam structure in compact laser-driven accelerators.