Compact Accelerator Technology Achieves Major Energy Milestone

November 28, 2023 • by Marc Airhart

Bjorn “Manuel” Hegelich led the development of a compact laser accelerator that produces an electron beam with an energy of 10 billion electron volts.

A piece of scientific equipment lit from the outside by green light. In a window in the side of the equipment, a pink light glows.

This gas cell is a key component of a compact wakefield laser accelerator developed at The University of Texas at Austin. Inside, an extremely powerful laser strikes helium gas, heats it into a plasma and creates waves that kick electrons from the gas out in a high-energy electron beam. Photo credit: Bjorn “Manuel” Hegelich.


A drawing of the compact wakefield laser accelerator developed at The University of Texas at Austin.

A drawing of the compact wakefield laser accelerator developed at The University of Texas at Austin. A laser beam enters on the right side and travels into the gas cell where an electron beam is created, which travels eventually to two scintillating screens (DRZ1 and DRZ2) for analysis on the left side.

An illustration of a box-like piece of scientific equipment with a red laser shining into it on one end and a beam of electrons exiting on the opposite side.

Gas cell drawing. Inside, an extremely powerful laser strikes helium gas, heats it into a plasma and creates waves that kick electrons from the gas out in a high-energy electron beam. Nanoparticles—generated by a secondary laser shining through the top window and striking a metal plate—boost the energy transferred to the electrons.

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