THz Driven Electron Gun

这个研究项目的目标是开发一种微型的高能电子源，一种电子枪，用于产生高质量、高能电子束。高能电子束已被生物学家、化学家和物理学家广泛使用，他们通过x射线和电子衍射研究超高速科学；进行医学成像和放射治疗的医生；探索高能物理的科学家；以及在全国各地的入境口岸进行货物检查。这些电子束是在粒子加速器中产生的，它可以控制带电粒子的能量、密度和时间。粒子加速器的第一个组成部分是电子枪，在电子枪中，电子被发射到真空中，并与强电场相互作用以加速。电子枪的性能至关重要，因为它为控制电子束的能力设定了基本限制。本研究旨在开发一种工作在太赫兹（THz）频率范围内的超紧凑、高梯度电子枪，该电子枪具有前所未有的亮度和电子束的时间控制，具有GeV/m的加速梯度。一种只有几毫米大小但能产生MeV电子的电子枪将被设计、制造并在高功率下进行测试。该小组将探索GV/m太赫兹场中电子场发射和光发射的物理学，太赫兹枪电子束动力学，非相对论性加速结构和飞秒时间尺度上的电子束产生。由此带来的性能、紧凑性和效率的提高将为加速器科学及其许多应用开辟新的前沿。

The goal of this research project is to develop a miniature source of energetic electrons, an electron gun, for producing high quality, high energy electron beams. High energy electron beams have found widespread use by biologists, chemists and physicists investigating ultra-fast science through x-ray and electron diffraction; physicians performing medical imaging and radiation therapy; scientists exploring high energy physics; and for cargo screening at ports of entry across the country. These electron beams are generated in particle accelerators which manipulate the energy, density and timing of charged particles. The first building block of a particle accelerator is the electron gun, where electrons are emitted into a vacuum and interact with intense electric fields to be accelerated. The performance of the electron gun is critical because it sets the fundamental limits on the ability to control electron beams.This research aims to develop an ultra-compact, high-gradient electron gun operating in the Terahertz (THz) frequency range which demonstrates GeV/m accelerating gradients with unprecedented brightness and temporal control of the electron beam. An electron gun only a few millimeters in size but capable of producing MeV electrons will be designed, built and tested at high power. The group will explore the physics of electron field-emission and photo-emission in GV/m THz fields, THz gun electron beam dynamics, non-relativistic accelerating structures and electron beam generation on femtosecond timescales. This resulting increase in performance, compactness and efficiency will open new frontiers in accelerator science and its many applications.