skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Photonic Crystal Laser-Driven Accelerator Structures

Abstract

Laser-driven acceleration holds great promise for significantly improving accelerating gradient. However, scaling the conventional process of structure-based acceleration in vacuum down to optical wavelengths requires a substantially different kind of structure. We require an optical waveguide that (1) is constructed out of dielectric materials, (2) has transverse size on the order of a wavelength, and (3) supports a mode with speed-of-light phase velocity in vacuum. Photonic crystals---structures whose electromagnetic properties are spatially periodic---can meet these requirements. We discuss simulated photonic crystal accelerator structures and describe their properties. We begin with a class of two-dimensional structures which serves to illustrate the design considerations and trade-offs involved. We then present a three-dimensional structure, and describe its performance in terms of accelerating gradient and efficiency. We discuss particle beam dynamics in this structure, demonstrating a method for keeping a beam confined to the waveguide. We also discuss material and fabrication considerations. Since accelerating gradient is limited by optical damage to the structure, the damage threshold of the dielectric is a critical parameter. We experimentally measure the damage threshold of silicon for picosecond pulses in the infrared, and determine that our structure is capable of sustaining an accelerating gradient of 300 MV/m at 1550more » nm. Finally, we discuss possibilities for manufacturing these structures using common microfabrication techniques.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
915385
Report Number(s):
SLAC-R-877
arXiv:0708.3206; TRN: US0804974
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; ACCELERATION; ACCELERATORS; DESIGN; DIELECTRIC MATERIALS; EFFICIENCY; FABRICATION; MANUFACTURING; PARTICLE BEAMS; PERFORMANCE; PHASE VELOCITY; SILICON; WAVEGUIDES; WAVELENGTHS; General Physics,ACCPHY, OPTICS

Citation Formats

Cowan, Benjamin M. Photonic Crystal Laser-Driven Accelerator Structures. United States: N. p., 2007. Web. doi:10.2172/915385.
Cowan, Benjamin M. Photonic Crystal Laser-Driven Accelerator Structures. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/915385
Cowan, Benjamin M. 2007. "Photonic Crystal Laser-Driven Accelerator Structures". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/915385. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/915385.
@article{osti_915385,
title = {Photonic Crystal Laser-Driven Accelerator Structures},
author = {Cowan, Benjamin M},
abstractNote = {Laser-driven acceleration holds great promise for significantly improving accelerating gradient. However, scaling the conventional process of structure-based acceleration in vacuum down to optical wavelengths requires a substantially different kind of structure. We require an optical waveguide that (1) is constructed out of dielectric materials, (2) has transverse size on the order of a wavelength, and (3) supports a mode with speed-of-light phase velocity in vacuum. Photonic crystals---structures whose electromagnetic properties are spatially periodic---can meet these requirements. We discuss simulated photonic crystal accelerator structures and describe their properties. We begin with a class of two-dimensional structures which serves to illustrate the design considerations and trade-offs involved. We then present a three-dimensional structure, and describe its performance in terms of accelerating gradient and efficiency. We discuss particle beam dynamics in this structure, demonstrating a method for keeping a beam confined to the waveguide. We also discuss material and fabrication considerations. Since accelerating gradient is limited by optical damage to the structure, the damage threshold of the dielectric is a critical parameter. We experimentally measure the damage threshold of silicon for picosecond pulses in the infrared, and determine that our structure is capable of sustaining an accelerating gradient of 300 MV/m at 1550 nm. Finally, we discuss possibilities for manufacturing these structures using common microfabrication techniques.},
doi = {10.2172/915385},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/915385}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Aug 22 00:00:00 EDT 2007},
month = {Wed Aug 22 00:00:00 EDT 2007}
}

Thesis/Dissertation:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this thesis or dissertation.

Save / Share: