Northern Illinois University
Advanced Accelerator R&D (AARD)

Novel Acceleration Techniques

Novel acceleration techniques could ultimately lead to the development of tabletop particle accelerators with application to compact light sources. Our group works on beam driven acceleration methods combined with novel beam-current shaping. Additionally, our group research interest also includes free-space near-field laser-acceleration method.

Beam Generation

Ultimately the final beam properties are limited by the particle-source performances. Developing electron sources with extreme brightness (dubbed as ultra-cold electron sources) could pave the way to, e.g., tabletop light sources capable. Likewise finding a way to reach very high average current enable industrial applications of the accelerator. Our group has developed high-current cathode based employing carbon nanotube cathode, demonstrated the formation of the beam with controlled distribution via photoemission and is currently exploring optically-enhanced field-emission as a path to near quantum-degenerate electron source.

 

Beam Manipulations

Tailoring the beam distributions has a wide range of applications including the mitigation of collective effects (such a space charge and self-interaction via coherent synchrotron radiation), the generation of coherent radiation, or the enhancement of beam-driven wakefield acceleration. Our group develops techniques capable of repartitioning emittances between the three degrees of freedom (phase space exchanger and flat beam transform), forming uniform ellipsoidal and transversely-segmented distribution.

Beam Diagnostics and control

Extreme beams put stringent demands on beam diagnostics that are necessary to characterize the beam parameters. Over the year our group has developed relevant diagnostics such as electro-optical sampling. In addition, it has developed high-level control software integrating simulation to the control-room system for various applications.