Direct laser acceleration in an inhomogeneous cylindrical plasma channel

We discuss the development of the instability for electron acceleration and energy gain of electrons from laser waves in both homogeneous and inhomogeneous non-planar cylindrical plasma channels. We find that the instability (i.e., electron acceleration) in the cylindrical plasma channel can be developed more quickly and strongly than that in the planar two-dimensional plasma channel. Then, enhancement of energy gain and shortening of acceleration length in the cylindrical plasma channel are observed. For the cylindrical plasma channel, the electron in the inhomogeneous plasma channel can gain more energy from the laser and the acceleration length can be shortened by adjusting the width of the laser and the inhomogeneous charge density distributions. Published by AIP Publishing.