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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 September 2011
One of the main limitations of energy gain in laser wakefield accelerators is the electron dephasing, In order to resolve the dephasing problem, a tapered plasma channel is proposed and tested numerically. The tapered density is created by means of a laser heating, combining an axially increased external magnetic field. The locally strong magnetic field prevents the thermal energy transport crossing the field lines, and leads to a pressure buildup. The pressure gradient expels the plasma radially and tapers the density axially. A tapered plasma with a density contrast of 2.2 within a 6-cm channel is established. Propagating in the tapered plasma channel, the energy of an accelerated electron is expected to be enhanced greatly.