The Advanced Laser Plasma High-Energy Accelerators towards X-rays (ALPHA-X) project is developing laser-plasma accelerators for the production of ultra-short electron beams as drivers of incoherent and coherent radiation sources from plasma and magnetic undulators. In addition to its usefulness as an injector for accelerators or radiation sources, ultra-short electron bunches have numerous direct applications such as in ultrafast electron microscopy, pulsed radiology and time-resolved electron diffraction. Ultra-short radiation pulses are essential for time-resolved studies in a wide range of applications across many branches of science, engineering and industry.

Notable achievements have seen the production of stable, high quality 400-600 MeV electron beams with very narrow energy spread and low transverse emittance in SCAPA. Below shows the spectrum of an Electron Beam with the peak energy around 664MeV. It was accelerated with a 6mm gas nozzle and 5.5J laser energy on target.

100 Continues Shots from the SCAPA LWFA Electron Accelerator