Stuttgart 2012 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 54: Poster 3

Q 54.32: Poster

Donnerstag, 15. März 2012, 16:30–19:00, Poster.I+II

Acceleration of non-relativistic electrons at a dielectric grating structure — •John Breuer and Peter Hommelhoff — Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching bei München, Germany

Using the laser electric field for particle acceleration has been proposed about 30 years ago [1]. First experimental results have recently been obtained [2]. The key advantages are not only high accelerating gradients and therefore future smaller sized accelerators, but also the precise temporal control of the electron motion via the laser fields. The concept of sub-wavelength fused-silica transmission gratings, which provide spatial harmonics that propagate synchronously with electrons passing parallel by the grating surface, has been proposed [3]. We are following this approach for non-relativistic (27 keV) electrons in order to prove the efficacy of light-field based acceleration and steering of electrons, analogous to today’s microwave accelerators. From numerical simulations we expect an accelerating gradient of up to 60 MeV/m and an energy gain of about 300 eV for electrons passing 100 nm away from the grating. We will present the experimental setup, the current status and detail possible applications.

[1] R. Palmer, Particle Accelerators, 11, 81-90 (1980)

[2] T. Plettner, R. L. Byer et al., PRL, 95, 134801 (2005)

[3] T. Plettner, R. L. Byer et al., PRSTAB, 9, 111301 (2006)