Enhancement of high-energy electron generation through suppression of Raman backscattering

The effect of Raman backscattering (RBS) on high-energy electron generation in laser-plasma interaction has been investigated for laser intensities well above the wave breaking and electron trapping threshold. One-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that suppression of RBS increases the high-energy electron yield in this regime. RBS-induced heating causes heavy beam loading and damping of the laser wake. Its suppression leads to higher wake amplitudes and higher particle energies. RBS suppression through direct stimulation of Raman forward scatter is demonstrated. The implications for high-energy electron production through laser-plasma interaction are discussed.