Simulation of vacuum laser acceleration, because of its scheme’s simplicity, attracts many people involved in. However, how to put the particle in the initial positions in the field has not been considered seriously in some such schemes. An inattentive choice of electron’s initial conditions may lead to misleading results. Here we show that arbitrarily placing the particle within the laser field leads to an overestimation of its energy gain, and offer suggestions for selecting appropriate initial conditions.

© 2010 OSA

1. K. Shimoda, “Proposal for an electron accelerator using an optical maser,” Appl. Opt. 1(1), 33–36 (1962). [CrossRef]
2. T. Tajima and J. M. Dawson, “Laser electron-accelerator,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 43(4), 267–270 (1979). [CrossRef]
3. D. Strickland and G. Mourou, “Compression of amplified chirped optical pulses,” Opt. Commun. 56(3), 219–221 (1985). [CrossRef]
4. G. A. Mourou, T. Tajima, and S. V. Bulanov, “Optics in the relativistic regime,” Rev. Mod. Phys. 78(2), 309–371 (2006). [CrossRef]
5. Y. I. Salamin, S. X. Hu, K. Z. Hatsagortsyan, and C. H. Keitel, “Relativistic high-power laser–matter interactions,” Phys. Rep. 427(2-3), 41–155 (2006). [CrossRef]
6. V. Malka, J. Faure, Y. A. Gauduel, E. Lefebvre, A. Rousse, and K. T. Phuoc, “Principles and applications of compact laser–plasma accelerators,” Nat. Phys. 4(6), 447–453 (2008). [CrossRef]
7. G. V. Stupakov and M. S. Zolotorev, “Ponderomotive laser acceleration and focusing in vacuum for generation of attosecond electron bunches,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 86(23), 5274–5277 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. G. Malka, E. Lefebvre, and J. L. Miquel, “Experimental observation of electrons accelerated in vacuum to relativistic energies by a high-intensity laser,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 78(17), 3314–3317 (1997). [CrossRef]
9. S. Kawata, T. Maruyama, H. Watanabe, and I. Takahashi , “Inverse-bremsstrahlung electron acceleration,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 66(16), 2072–2075 (1991). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. P. X. Wang, Y. K. Ho, X. Q. Yuan, Q. Kong, N. Cao, A. M. Sessler, E. Esarey, and Y. Nishida, “Vacuum electron acceleration by an intense laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 78(15), 2253–2255 (2001). [CrossRef]
11. Y. I. Salamin and C. H. Keitel, “Electron acceleration by a tightly focused laser beam,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 88(9), 095005 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. E. Siegman Lasers, (University Science Books, Mill Valley, California, 1986).
13. J. F. Hua, Y. K. Ho, Y. Z. Lin, Z. Chen, Y. J. Xie, S. Y. Zhang, Z. Yan, and J. J. Xu, “High-order corrected fields of ultrashort, tightly focused laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 85(17), 3705–3707 (2004). [CrossRef]
14. Y. I. Salamin, “Accurate fields of a radially polarized Gaussian laser beam,” N. J. Phys. 8(8), 133 (2006). [CrossRef]
15. T. W. Kibble, “Refraction of electron beams by intense electromagnetic waves,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 16(23), 1054–1056 (1966). [CrossRef]
16. B. Quesnel and P. Mora, “Theory and simulation of the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with electrons in vacuum,” Phys. Rev. E Stat. Phys. Plasmas Fluids Relat. Interdiscip. Topics 58(3), 3719–3732 (1998). [CrossRef]
17. P. K. Kaw and R. M. Kulsrud, “Relativistic acceleration of charged particles by superintense laser beams,” Phys. Fluids 16(2), 321–328 (1973). [CrossRef]
18. E. Esarey, S. K. Ride, and P. Sprangle, “Nonlinear Thomson scattering of intense laser pulses from beams and plasmas,” Phys. Rev. E Stat. Phys. Plasmas Fluids Relat. Interdiscip. Topics 48(4), 3003–3021 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. C. Varin and M. Piché, “Acceleration of ultra-relativistic electrons using high-intensity laser beams,” Appl. Phys. B 74, s83–s88 (2002). [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• K. Shimoda, “Proposal for an electron accelerator using an optical maser,” Appl. Opt. 1(1), 33–36 (1962). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. B

• C. Varin and M. Piché, “Acceleration of ultra-relativistic electrons using high-intensity laser beams,” Appl. Phys. B 74, s83–s88 (2002). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• P. X. Wang, Y. K. Ho, X. Q. Yuan, Q. Kong, N. Cao, A. M. Sessler, E. Esarey, and Y. Nishida, “Vacuum electron acceleration by an intense laser,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 78(15), 2253–2255 (2001). [CrossRef]
• J. F. Hua, Y. K. Ho, Y. Z. Lin, Z. Chen, Y. J. Xie, S. Y. Zhang, Z. Yan, and J. J. Xu, “High-order corrected fields of ultrashort, tightly focused laser pulses,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 85(17), 3705–3707 (2004). [CrossRef]

N. J. Phys.

• Y. I. Salamin, “Accurate fields of a radially polarized Gaussian laser beam,” N. J. Phys. 8(8), 133 (2006). [CrossRef]

Nat. Phys.

• V. Malka, J. Faure, Y. A. Gauduel, E. Lefebvre, A. Rousse, and K. T. Phuoc, “Principles and applications of compact laser–plasma accelerators,” Nat. Phys. 4(6), 447–453 (2008). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• D. Strickland and G. Mourou, “Compression of amplified chirped optical pulses,” Opt. Commun. 56(3), 219–221 (1985). [CrossRef]

Phys. Fluids

• P. K. Kaw and R. M. Kulsrud, “Relativistic acceleration of charged particles by superintense laser beams,” Phys. Fluids 16(2), 321–328 (1973). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rep.

• Y. I. Salamin, S. X. Hu, K. Z. Hatsagortsyan, and C. H. Keitel, “Relativistic high-power laser–matter interactions,” Phys. Rep. 427(2-3), 41–155 (2006). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. E Stat. Phys. Plasmas Fluids Relat. Interdiscip. Topics

• B. Quesnel and P. Mora, “Theory and simulation of the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with electrons in vacuum,” Phys. Rev. E Stat. Phys. Plasmas Fluids Relat. Interdiscip. Topics 58(3), 3719–3732 (1998). [CrossRef]
• E. Esarey, S. K. Ride, and P. Sprangle, “Nonlinear Thomson scattering of intense laser pulses from beams and plasmas,” Phys. Rev. E Stat. Phys. Plasmas Fluids Relat. Interdiscip. Topics 48(4), 3003–3021 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• T. W. Kibble, “Refraction of electron beams by intense electromagnetic waves,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 16(23), 1054–1056 (1966). [CrossRef]
• Y. I. Salamin and C. H. Keitel, “Electron acceleration by a tightly focused laser beam,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 88(9), 095005 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• T. Tajima and J. M. Dawson, “Laser electron-accelerator,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 43(4), 267–270 (1979). [CrossRef]
• G. V. Stupakov and M. S. Zolotorev, “Ponderomotive laser acceleration and focusing in vacuum for generation of attosecond electron bunches,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 86(23), 5274–5277 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. Malka, E. Lefebvre, and J. L. Miquel, “Experimental observation of electrons accelerated in vacuum to relativistic energies by a high-intensity laser,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 78(17), 3314–3317 (1997). [CrossRef]
• S. Kawata, T. Maruyama, H. Watanabe, and I. Takahashi , “Inverse-bremsstrahlung electron acceleration,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 66(16), 2072–2075 (1991). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Rev. Mod. Phys.

• G. A. Mourou, T. Tajima, and S. V. Bulanov, “Optics in the relativistic regime,” Rev. Mod. Phys. 78(2), 309–371 (2006). [CrossRef]

Other

• E. Siegman Lasers, (University Science Books, Mill Valley, California, 1986).

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