Optical Scale Laser-Driven Electron Accelerators for Attosecond Radiation Sources

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

Particle accelerators are a critical scientific and industrial tool in many fields, from probing the structure of matter at its fundamental levels to industrial radioisotope production, medical radiation therapy, and security scanners. In the past two years, the first demonstrations have been conducted of a revolutionary new approach that combines the fabrication methods of the microchip industry with modern lasers to greatly shrink the size and cost of particle accelerators. This opens the door to creating a future generation of miniaturized "accelerator on a chip" devices that could be used to produce pulses of radiation on unprecedentedly short time scales, shorter than one millionth of a billionth of a second. Such accelerators of the future could open new avenues of scientific research, including the potential for making "molecular movies" that reveal the inner workings of some of nature's fastest events. Students working in this program will receive an education of unrivaled depth by interacting with faculties from multiple scientific fields as well as the diverse communities of researchers at Stanford, UCLA, Tel-Aviv University, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory where much of the experimental work will take place. This project is a three-year collaborative program to advance the concept of a laser-powered nanofabricated dielectric laser accelerator (DLA) with the ultimate goal of making compatible ultra-short pulsed radiation sources. This approach has been colloquially referred to as an "accelerator on a chip." The different essential components will be developed by the collaborating groups, including theory, design, and laboratory demonstrations at Stanford University, Tel-Aviv University, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and University of California Los Angeles. The development of the particle source and low-energy accelerator for these tests will occur in close collaboration with Erlangen University, Germany. The theory of DLA radiation schemes will be developed for potential short-wavelength coherent radiation sources based on high-harmonic (super-radiant) emission and free electron laser amplification schemes with femtosecond to attosecond pulses. The NSF program will support the research of one graduate student in this field, working on design, fabrication, and testing of these concepts in conjunction with faculty, scientific staff, and students at the collaborating institutions to provide an unparalleled and multi-disciplinary educational experience.