The Micro Accelerator Platform: A New Particle Source for Industrial, Medical, and Research Applications

Sources of relativistic electrons are utilized in applications ranging from cancer therapy to industrial inspection, but such devices are presently large and very expensive. New applications in high-energy physics demand smaller radiation and charged particle sources. This project will develop a new kind of particle source, the Micro Accelerator Platform (MAP), which will be powered by a laser, delivered over a fiber optic, and be about a cubic millimeter in size. The MAP will be based on a microstructure fabricated from dielectric materials, much the way microelectronic chips and MEMS devices are produced. In Phase I, a proof-of-principle MAP structure was optimized, and the feasibility of relativistic particle acceleration in the all-dielectric MAP structure was demonstrated. Fixturing and instrumentation for a proof-of-principle experiment in Phase II was designed. Phase II will finalize the design of the structure, fabrication processes will be developed, and prototype structures will be fabricated and tested. An acceleration greater than or equal to 1GeV/m over a =100 µm long, relativistic structure will be demonstrated.Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to the application for high energy physics research, the MAP holds great promise as a new form of cancer radiation therapy, delivered through a minimally invasive procedure to the tumor site, thus avoiding damage to healthy tissue. This new tool potentially could provide a safer, more effective, and less expensive alternative to the radiation treatment available today. At the same time, the MAP technology should provide a new source for non-destructive testing and cargo inspection