Segmented Terahertz Electron Accelerator and Manipulator (STEAM)

TL;DR

The paper introduces STEAM, a segmented THz electron accelerator and manipulator capable of performing multiple high-field operations on ultrashort electron bunches, enabling compact, high-resolution electron devices.

Contribution

It presents a novel segmented THz device that integrates acceleration, streaking, focusing, and compression in a single compact platform.

Findings

Achieved >30 keV acceleration with THz pulses

Demonstrated <10 fs streaking resolution

Focused electron beams with >2 kT/m strength

Abstract

Acceleration and manipulation of ultrashort electron bunches are the basis behind electron and X-ray devices used for ultrafast, atomic-scale imaging and spectroscopy. Using laser-generated THz drivers enables intrinsic synchronization as well as dramatic gains in field strengths, field gradients and component compactness, leading to shorter electron bunches, higher spatio-temporal resolution and smaller infrastructures. We present a segmented THz electron accelerator and manipulator (STEAM) with extended interaction lengths capable of performing multiple high-field operations on the energy and phase-space of ultrashort bunches with moderate charge. With this single device, powered by few-microjoule, single-cycle, 0.3 THz pulses, we demonstrate record THz-device acceleration of >30 keV, streaking with <10 fs resolution, focusing with >2 kT/m strengths, compression to ~100 fs as well as real-time switching between these modes of operation. The STEAM device demonstrates the feasibility of future THz-based compact electron guns, accelerators, ultrafast electron diffractometers and Free-Electron Lasers with transformative impact.