SLAC, Menlo Park, California, USA
Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
The accelerating gradient in a laser-driven dielectric accelerating structure is often limited by the laser damage threshold of the structure. For a given laser-driven dielectric accelerator design, we can maximize the accelerating gradient by choosing the best combination of the accelerator’s constituent material and operating wavelength. We present here a model of the damage mechanism from ultrafast infrared pulses and compare that model with experimental measurements of the damage threshold of bulk silicon. Additionally, we present experimental measurements of a variety of candidate materials, thin films, and nanofabricated accelerating structures.
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
A grating-based design is a promising candidate for a laser-driven dielectric accelerator. Through simulations, we show the merits of a readily fabricated grating structure as an accelerating component. Additionally, we show that with a small design perturbation, the accelerating component can be converted into a focusing structure. The understanding of these two components is critical in the successful development of any complete accelerator.
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
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.
