Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Laser-plasma accelerators emerge as ultra-compact and versatile sources for numerous applications. Although the acceleration length is short (a few millimeters), they typically require large-scale infrastructures including ultra-high-power lasers, vacuum chambers and strict stability for temperature and humidity. As a result, most experiments are conducted in laboratories in large areas with controlled environments. Here, we present a highly compact (footprint of ~ 9 m²) and transportable system capable of generating electrons and photons in the MeV range at high repetition rates (up to 10 Hz) with average charge levels of 0.5 nC and up to 1 nC. This achievement shows the feasibility of performing laser-plasma acceleration outside of laboratory environments with a transportable system, significantly expanding the potential for practical applications.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Erwan Morel, Olena Kononenko, Jonathan Wheeler, Achraf Ayeb, Pascal Rousseau, Magali Lozano, Amar Tafzi, Lorenzo Martelli, Yves-Bernard André, Sara Rushe Palacios, Xuan Quyen Dinh, Jean-Philippe Denis, Henri Kraft, Philippe Demengeot, Aurélien Houard, Cedric Thaury
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W4413055884