SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
We present a design concept for an e+ e- linear collider based on laser-driven dielectric accelerator structures, and discuss technical issues that must be addressed to realize such a concept. With a pulse structure that is quasi-CW, dielectric laser accelerators potentially offer reduced beamstrahlung and pair production, reduced event pileup, and much cleaner environment for high energy physics and. For multi-TeV colliders, these advantages become significant.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
USC, Los Angeles, California, USA
The ideal drive beam current profile for the plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) has been predicted by 1D and 2D simulations to be characterized by a triangular ramp that rises linearly from head to tail, followed by a sharp drop. A technique for generating such bunches experimentally was recently demonstrated. We present here an adaptation of this scheme to generate ramped bunches using the 23 GeV electron beam produced in the first two-thirds of the SLAC linac, and discuss plans to implement this scheme for high transformer ratio demonstration experiments at the FACET plasma wakefield accelerator facility.
Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
We present our progress in the fabrication and measurement of a transmission-based dielectric double-grating accelerator structure. The structure lends itself to simpler coupling to the accelerating mode in the waveguide with negligible group velocity dispersion effects, allowing for operation with ultra-short (fs) laser pulses. This document describes work being done at the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility to create a monolithic guided-wave structure with 800 nm period gratings separated by a fixed sub-wavelength gap using standard optical lithographic techniques on a fused silica substrate. An SEM and other characterization tools were used to measure the fabrication deviations of the grating geometry and simulations were carried out in MATLAB and HFSS to study the effects of such deviations on the resulting accelerating gradient.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
We present results for the fabrication of a silicon woodpile accelerator structure. The structure was designed to have an accelerating mode at 3.95 μm, with a high characteristic impedance and an accelerating gradient of 530 MeV/m. The fabrication process uses standard nanofabrication techniques in a layer-by-layer process to produce a three-dimensional photonic crystal with 400 nm features. Reflection spectroscopy measurements reveal a peak spanning from three to five microns, and are show good agreement with simulations.
* Sears, PRST-AB, 11, 101301, (2008).
** Cowan, PRST-AB, 11, 011301, (2008).
*** McGuinness, J. Mod. Opt., vol. 56, is. 18, pp. 2142, (2009).
**** Lin, Nature, 394, pp. 251 (1998).
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
Photonic band gap (PBG) fibers with hollow core defects are being designed and fabricated for use as laser driven accelerators because they appear capable of providing gradients of several GeV/m at picosecond pulse lengths. While we expect to have fiber down to 1.5-2.0 micron wavelengths we still lack a viable means for efficient coupling of laser power into these structures. The reasons for this include the very different character of these TM-like modes from those familiar in the telecom field and the fact that the defect must function as both a longitudinal waveguide for the accelerating field and a transport channel for the particles. We discuss the status of our coupling work in terms of what has been done and the options we are pursuing for both end and side coupling. In both basic coupler types, the symmetry of the PBG crystal leads to significant differences between this and the telecom field. We show that side coupling provides more possibilities and is preferred. Our motivation is to test new fiber for gradient, mode content and throughput on the NLCTA at SLAC.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
Three temporal diagnostic techniques are considered for use in the FACET facility at SLAC, which will incorporate a unique two-bunch beam for plasma wakefield acceleration experiments. The results of these experiments will depend strongly on the the inter-bunch spacing as well as the longitudinal profiles of the two bunches. A reliable, single-shot, high resolution measurement of the beam’s temporal profile is necessary to fully quantify the physical mechanisms underlying the beam driven plasma wakefield acceleration. In this study we show that a transverse deflecting cavity is the diagnostic which best meets our criteria.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
USC, Los Angeles, California, USA
FACET, the Facility for Advanced Accelerator and Experimental Tests, is a new facility being constructed in sector 20 of the SLAC linac primarily to study beam driven plasma wakefield acceleration beginning in summer 2011. The nominal FACET parameters are 23GeV, 3nC electron bunches compressed to ~20μm long and focused to ~10μm wide. The intense fields of the FACET bunches will be used to field ionize neutral lithium or cesium vapor produced in a heat pipe oven. Previous experiments at SLAC demonstrated 50GeV/m gradients in an 85cm field ionized lithium plasma where the interaction distance was limited by head erosion. Simulations indicate the lower ionization potential of cesium will decrease the rate of head erosion and increase single stage performance. The initial experimental program will compare the performance of lithium and cesium plasma sources with single and double bunches. Later experiments will investigate improved performance with a pre-ionized cesium plasma. The status of the experiments and expected performance are reviewed.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) represent a class of optical fibers which have a wide spectrum of applications in the telecom and sensing industries. Currently, the Advanced Accelerator Research Department at SLAC is developing photonic bandgap particle accelerators, which are photonic crystal structures with a central defect used to accelerate electrons and achieve high longitudinal electric fields. Extremely compact and less costly than the traditional accelerators, these structures can support higher accelerating gradients and will open a new era in high energy physics as well as other fields of science. Based on direct laser acceleration in dielectric materials, the so called photonic band gap accelerators will benefit from mature laser and semiconductor industries.
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
Optical scale dielectric structures offer a promising medium for high-gradient, compact, low-cost acceleration of charged particles. An experimental program is underway at the SLAC E163 facility to demonstrate acceleration in photonic bandgap structures driven by short laser pulses. We present initial experimental results, discuss structure and experimental design, and present first estimates of achievable gradient.
RadiaBeam, Santa Monica, USA
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma), Italy
SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York, USA