Ultra-High Gradient Channeling Acceleration in Nanostructures: Design/Progress of Proof-of-Concept (POC) Experiments

TL;DR

This paper explores the design and progress of proof-of-concept experiments for ultra-high gradient channeling acceleration in nanostructures, combining simulation analyses and experimental setups at Fermilab and NIU.

Contribution

It presents new simulation analyses and outlines experimental plans for nanostructure-based acceleration techniques, including wakefield detection and laser pulse generation.

Findings

Successful commissioning of a 50 MeV electron beamline at Fermilab

Proposal to use diamond crystals for channeling acceleration POC tests

Development of stable single-cycle laser pulses with Petawatt power

Abstract

This paper describes simulation analyses on beam and laser (X-ray)-driven accelerations in effective nanotube models obtained from Vsim and EPOCH codes. Experimental setups to detect wakefields are also outlined with accelerator facilities at Fermilab and NIU. In the FAST facility, the electron beamline was successfully commissioned at 50 MeV and it is being upgraded toward higher energies for electron accelerator R&D. The 50 MeV injector beamline of the facility is used for X-ray crystal-channeling radiation with a diamond target. It has been proposed to utilize the same diamond crystal for a channeling acceleration POC test. Another POC experiment is also designed for the NIU accelerator lab with time-resolved electron diffraction. Recently, a stable generation of single-cycle laser pulses with tens of Petawatt power based on thin film compression (TFC) technique has been investigated for target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) and radiation pressure acceleration (RPA). The experimental plan with a nanometer foil is discussed with an available test facility such as Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP).