Nanostructure Accelerators: Novel concept and path to its realization

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel nanostructure-based acceleration mechanism capable of achieving tens of TeV/m gradients, overcoming fundamental obstacles in crystal-based accelerators by integrating nanoscience with accelerator technology.

Contribution

It introduces a new surface wave acceleration mechanism in nanostructured materials that can reach extremely high gradients and includes a proof-of-principle demonstration.

Findings

Achieved tens of TeV/m acceleration gradients

Developed a nanostructure surface wave mechanism with focusing fields

Demonstrated beam nanomodulation in nanostructured materials

Abstract

TeV/m acceleration gradients using crystals as originally envisioned by R. Hofstadter, an early pioneer of HEP, have remained unrealizable. Fundamental obstacles that have hampered efforts on particle acceleration using bulk-crystals arise from collisional energy loss and emittance degradation in addition to severe beam disruption despite the favorable effect of particle channeling along interatomic planes in bulk. We aspire for the union of nanoscience with accelerator science to not only overcome these problems using nanostructured tubes to avoid direct impact of the beam on bulk ion-lattice but also to utilize the highly tunable characteristics of nanomaterials. We pioneer a novel surface wave mechanism in nanostructured materials with a strong electrostatic component which not only attains tens of TeV/m gradients but also has focusing fields. Under our initiative, the proof-of-principle demonstration of tens of TeV/m gradients and beam nanomodulation is underway. Realizable nanostructure accelerators naturally promise new horizons in HEP as well as in a wide range of areas of research that utilize beams of high-energy particles or photons.