Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for generating an ultrashort charged particle beam, comprising creating a high intensity longitudinal E-field by shaping and tightly focusing in an on-axis geometry a substantially radially polarized laser beam, and using the high intensity longitudinal E-field for interaction with a medium to accelerate charged particles. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising a) converting the polarization of a beam from a high peak power laser to a substantially radial polarization, b) shaping and optimizing the intensity profile and wavefront of the beam; c) tight focusing the radially polarized laser beam in an on-axis geometry with a high numerical aperture optic; and d) accelerating charged particles from the medium by the resulting high intensity longitudinal E-field; in an interaction chamber. 3. The method of claim 1, comprising focusing the radially polarized beam so that radial field projections cancel themselves transversally and align themselves longitudinally, in such a way that a longitudinal to transverse field ratio (LTFR) in the focal plane is maximum for an ultrashort pulse, with the LTFR ratio defined as follows:      L    ⁢                  ⁢    T    ⁢                  ⁢    F    ⁢                  ⁢    R    =                    Longitudinal        ⁢                                  ⁢        Field        ⁢                                  ⁢        intensity                    Transverse        ⁢                                  ⁢        Field        ⁢                                  ⁢        intensity              .   4. A system for generating an ultrashort charged particle beam, in an interaction chamber, comprising:a laser system delivering an ultrashort pulse;a polarization converter unit converting a beam from said laser system into a substantially radially polarized laser beam;amplitude beam shaping and transport optics, shaping the substantially radially polarized laser beam;focusing optics tight-focusing the beam received from said transport optics in an on-axis geometry; anda first medium from which charged particles are accelerated by the tight-focused beam. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said laser system provides ultrashort laser pulses. 6. The system of claim 4, wherein said polarization converter comprises one of: achromatic half wave plates; electro optical modulators, Z-polarization plates, mode polarization combinators and fiber optics. 7. The system of claim 4, wherein said amplitude beam shaping optics comprise at least one of: reflectivity mirrors, hole mirrors, amplitude masks, a diffraction elements, axicons and fiber optics. 8. The system of claim 4, wherein said amplitude beam shaping optics comprise at least one of: reflectivity mirrors, hole mirrors, amplitude masks, a diffraction elements, axicons and fiber optics, in combination with a deformable mirror. 9. The system of claim 4, wherein said focusing optics comprise high numerical aperture optics compatible with ultrashort pulses. 10. The system of claim 4, wherein said focusing optics comprise optics of numerical aperture of at least 0.5, compatible with ultrashort pulses. 11. The system of claim 4, wherein said focusing optics comprise a parabolic mirror in an on axis-geometry, with one of: i) a focal point position near or at the edge of the parabolic mirror; ii) a focal point inside the parabolic mirror and iii) a focal point through a partially cut parabolic mirror. 12. The system of claim 4, wherein said focusing optics comprise a parabolic mirror in an on axis-geometry, with one of: i) a focal point position near or at the edge of the parabolic mirror; ii) a focal point inside the parabolic mirror and iii) a focal point through a partially cut parabolic mirror, in combination with a deformable mirror. 13. The system of claim 4, wherein said focusing optics comprise one of: i) a microscopic objective and ii) a parabola. 14. The system of claim 4, wherein said focusing optics comprise one of: i) a microscopic objective in combination with an ellipsoid and ii) a parabola in combination with an ellipsoid. 15. The system of claim 4, wherein said focusing optics comprise one of: i) a microscopic objective and ii) a parabola, in combination with a deformable mirror. 16. The system of claim 4, wherein said interaction chamber is filled with a low density gas under controlled pressure. 17. The system of claim 4, wherein said interaction chamber is filled with one of helium, oxygen and argon, under controlled pressure. 18. The system of claim 4, wherein said first medium is one of a gas, a liquid, a solid, and a plasma. 19. The system of claim 4, further comprising a second medium located on the propagation axis of the ultrashort charged particle beam, positioned close to the acceleration region, for interaction with the ultrashort charged particle beam. 20. The system of claim 4, further comprising a second medium located on the propagation axis of the ultrashort charged particle beam, positioned close to the acceleration region, for interaction with the ultrashort charged particle beam, said second medium being one of a thin solid target, a thin film, a liquid and a high density gas. 21. A method, comprising:a) radially polarizing, shaping and optimizing a high peak power laser pulse; andb) tight focusing the radially polarized pulse in an on-axis geometry, in a low pressure gas environment, thereby generating a high intensity longitudinal E-field. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising accelerating charged particles of a first medium with the high intensity longitudinal E-field. 23. The method of claim 21, further comprising accelerating charged particles of a first medium with the high intensity longitudinal E-field into an ultrashort charged particle beam and interacting the ultrashort charged particle beam with a second medium located on the propagation axis of the ultrashort charged particle beam, positioned close to the acceleration region. 24. The method of claim 21, further comprising using the high intensity longitudinal E-field for interaction with a medium composed of electrons, protons and ions to accelerate electrons in the propagation axis, thereby creating a space charge field that accelerates protons and ions from the medium. 25. The method of claim 21, further comprising accelerating charged particles of a first medium with the high intensity longitudinal E-field into an ultrashort charged particle beam and interacting the ultrashort charged particle beam with a second medium composed of electrons, protons and ions, located on the propagation axis of the ultrashort charged particle beam, positioned close to the acceleration region, thereby accelerating protons and ions from the second medium. 26. A method for generating X ray or particles sources, comprising creating a high intensity longitudinal E-field by tightly focusing a radially polarized laser beam in an on-axis geometry, using the high intensity longitudinal E-field for interaction with a first medium to accelerate charged particles and generate an ultrashort charged particle beam, and interacting the ultrashort charged particle beam with a second medium located close to the acceleration region.