US-12621923-B2 - Particle accelerator system and method of operation

US12621923B2US 12621923 B2US12621923 B2US 12621923B2US-12621923-B2

Abstract

A particle accelerator system, preferably including an injection beamline, a return beamline, and a merged beamline, and optionally including a beam separator. The particle accelerator system preferably includes a plurality of electron optics elements, such as dipole magnets, quadrupole magnets, solenoid elements, and/or higher-order magnetic elements, which can function to direct electrons (and/or other charged particles) along the beamlines. A method of operation, preferably including injecting electrons, merging beamlines, accelerating the injected electrons, and/or using the accelerated electrons, and optionally including receiving return electrons, dumping used electrons, and/or returning the accelerated electrons.

Inventors

Colwyn Gulliford
David Douglas

Assignees

xLight Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20251001

Claims (20)

1 . A particle accelerator system comprising: a merge dipole magnet; an injection beamline defining a first beam path from an injection point to the merge dipole magnet via a transverse translator, wherein the transverse translator: comprises a plurality of magnets; terminates at a first region of the merge dipole; and is configured to direct a first electron beam substantially along the first beam path to first region, the first electron beam defining a first average electron energy; a second beamline defining a second beam path from a second point to the merge dipole magnet, wherein the second beamline: terminates at a second region of the merge dipole, wherein the second region does not intersect the first region; and is configured to direct a second electron beam substantially along the second beam path to the second region, the second electron beam defining a second average electron energy substantially greater than the first average electron energy; wherein the merge dipole magnet is configured to: direct the first electron beam from the first region onto a merged trajectory; and direct the second electron beam from the second region onto the merged trajectory.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein: the merge dipole magnet comprises an entry face and an exit face, wherein the entry face and the exit face are substantially planar; the first region is on the entry face, wherein the first beam path defines an entry tangent at the entry face; the merged trajectory extends outward from the merge dipole magnet at the exit face, wherein the merged trajectory defines an exit tangent at the exit face; the system defines: an entry face angle between the entry tangent and an entry face normal vector; an exit face angle between the exit tangent and an exit face normal vector, wherein the exit face angle is substantially equal to the entry face angle; and a first redirection angle between the entry tangent and the exit tangent, wherein the first redirection angle is substantially four times the entry face angle.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein: the second region is on the entry face, wherein the second beam path defines a second entry tangent at the entry face; and the system further defines: a second entry face angle between the second entry tangent and the entry face normal vector, wherein the second entry face angle is substantially different from the entry face angle; and a second redirection angle between the second entry tangent and the exit tangent, wherein the second redirection angle is substantially less than the redirection angle.
4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the transverse translator comprises a first multi-bend achromat defined between a second dipole magnet and the merge dipole magnet, wherein: the first multi-bend achromat terminates at the first region; the injection beamline, the second beamline, and the merged beamline lie substantially on a first transverse plane; the merge dipole magnet is configured to bend the first electron beam by a first angle in a first direction about a first transverse axis normal to the first transverse plane, wherein the first transverse axis intersects the merge dipole magnet; and A the second dipole magnet is configured to bend the first electron beam by a second angle in the first direction about a second transverse axis substantially parallel to the first transverse axis, wherein the second transverse axis intersects the second dipole magnet, wherein the second angle is substantially equal to the first angle.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first multi-bend achromat further comprises a plurality of solenoids arranged along the injection beamline between the second dipole magnet and the merge dipole magnet, the plurality of solenoids comprising: a first solenoid having a first polarity; a second solenoid having the first polarity; and a third solenoid having a second polarity opposite the first polarity, wherein the third solenoid is arranged between the first solenoid and the second solenoid.
6 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising a second multi-bend achromat arranged along the injection beamline upstream of the first multi-bend achromat.
7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of solenoids arranged along the injection beamline between the first multi-bend achromat and the second multi-bend achromat, the plurality of solenoids comprising: a first solenoid having a positive polarity; and a second solenoid having a negative polarity; wherein: the first multi-bend achromat is a first double-bend achromat; and the second multi-bend achromat is a second double-bend achromat.
8 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second beamline comprises a dispersion suppressor arranged along the second beam path, the dispersion suppressor terminating at the second region.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein: the merge dipole magnet is configured to redirect the second beam path by a second redirection angle; the second beamline further comprises a second dipole magnet configured to redirect the second beam path by a third redirection angle substantially equal to the second redirection angle; and the dispersion suppressor is defined between the second dipole magnet and the merge dipole magnet.
10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a separator dipole magnet arranged along the merged trajectory; and an energy recovery accelerator arranged along the merged trajectory between the merge dipole magnet and the separator dipole magnet; wherein the separator dipole magnet is configured to: receive the first and second electron beams from the energy recovery accelerator; direct the first electron beam along a third beam path; and direct the second electron beam along a fourth beam path to a beam dump, the fourth beam path different from the third beam path.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the third beam path terminates at the second beamline, wherein the first electron beam is directed along the second beam path via the third beam path.
12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising an undulator arranged along the third beam path, the undulator configured to oscillate the first electron beam such that the first electron beam generates a light output via free-electron lasing.
13 . A method comprising: at an injection beamline: receiving a first electron beam defining a first average electron energy; and directing the first electron beam along a transverse translator to a first region of a merge element; at a second beamline: receiving a second electron beam defining a second average electron energy substantially greater than the first average electron energy; and directing the second electron beam to a second region of the merge element, wherein the second region does not intersect the first region; and at the merge element: receiving the first electron beam at the first region; substantially concurrent with receiving the first electron beam, receiving the second electron beam at the second region; directing the first electron beam from the first region onto a merged trajectory; and directing the second electron beam from the second region onto the merged trajectory such that the first and second electron beams are substantially collinear.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein: the merge element is a dipole magnet comprising an entry face and an exit face, wherein the entry face and the exit face are substantially planar; the entry face defines an entry face normal vector; the exit face defines an exit face normal vector; the first electron beam enters the dipole magnet directed along an entry tangent vector; the first electron beam exits the dipole magnet directed along an exit tangent vector; entry face angle between the entry tangent vector and the entry face normal vector is substantially equal to an exit face angle between the exit tangent vector and the exit face normal vector; and a first redirection angle between the entry tangent vector and the exit tangent vector is substantially four times the entry face angle.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein first electron beam traverses the transverse translator in a substantially axisymmetric and substantially achromatic manner.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein: the transverse translator comprises: a first double-bend achromat; and a second double-bend achromat that terminates at the merge element; and the first electron beam traverses the first and second double-bend achromats in a substantially axisymmetric and substantially achromatic manner.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein: the transverse translator terminates at the first region; and directing the second electron beam to the second region comprises directing the second electron beam through a dispersion suppressor that terminates at the second region.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the dispersion suppressor defines a chicane between a second dipole magnet and the merge element.
19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising, after directing the first electron beam onto the merged trajectory and directing the second electron beam onto the merged trajectory: A transferring energy from the second electron beam to the first electron beam such that: the first electron beam defines a third average electron energy; and the second electron beam defines a fourth average electron energy substantially less than the third average electron energy; after transferring the energy, at a separator element: receiving the first and second electron beams; directing the first electron beam onto a primary beamline; and not directing the second electron beam onto the primary beamline; at the primary beamline, directing the first electron beam to the second beamline; at the injection beamline: receiving a third electron beam defining a fifth average electron energy substantially equal to the first average electron energy; and directing the third electron beam along the transverse translator to the first region; at the second beamline: receiving the first electron beam from the primary beamline; and directing the first electron beam to the second region; and at the merge element: receiving the third electron beam at the first region; A substantially concurrent with receiving the first electron beam, receiving the first electron beam at the second region; a directing the third electron beam from the first region onto the merged trajectory; and directing the first electron beam from the second region onto the merged trajectory such that the first and third electron beams are substantially collinear.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising, after directing the first electron beam onto the primary beamline and before directing the first electron beam to the second beamline, at the primary beamline, directing the first electron beam through an undulator such that the first electron beam generates a light output via free-electron lasing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/701,791, filed Oct. 1 2024, which is incorporated in its entirety by this reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates generally to the particle accelerator field, and more specifically to a new and useful particle accelerator system and method of operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1A is a schematic representation of the particle accelerator system. FIGS. 1B-1C are schematic representations of a first and second variant, respectively, of the particle accelerator system. FIG. 1D is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the particle accelerator system. FIG. 2A is a schematic representation of a first example of the particle accelerator system. FIG. 2B is a schematic representation of a specific example of the particle accelerator system. FIGS. 3A-3B are schematic representations of a second and third example, respectively, of the particle accelerator system. FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an example of a merge element of the particle accelerator system. FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a method of operation for a particle accelerator system. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to these preferred embodiments, but rather to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. 1. Overview A particle accelerator system 10 preferably includes an injection beamline 100, a return beamline 200, and a merged beamline 300 (e.g., as shown by way of examples in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, 3A, and/or 3B), and can optionally include one or more: energy recovery accelerators 400, beam separators 500, and/or undulators 600. The system preferably includes a plurality of electron optics elements, such as dipole magnets (e.g., chevron dipoles), quadrupole magnets, solenoid elements, and/or higher-order magnetic elements, which can function to direct electrons (and/or other charged particles) along the beamlines. The particle accelerator system is preferably configured to perform the method of operation described below, but can additionally or alternatively have any other suitable functionality. A method of operation 900 preferably includes: injecting electrons S910, merging beamlines S930, accelerating the injected electrons S940, and/or using the accelerated electrons S960, such as shown by way of example in FIG. 5. The method 900 can optionally include: receiving return electrons S920, dumping used electrons S950, and/or returning the accelerated electrons S970. However, the method can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable elements performed in any suitable manner. The method is preferably performed using the particle accelerator system described herein, but can additionally or alternatively be performed using any other suitable system(s). Some embodiments of the particle accelerator system may additionally or alternatively be configured to accelerate and/or control charged particles other than electrons (e.g., positrons, protons, ions, etc.). A person of skill in the art will recognize that, although referred to herein as “electron optics elements”, such a system would instead include analogous optics configured to steer, focus, and/or otherwise redirect the relevant charged particles used in the system (e.g., rather than electrons). Further, a person of skill in the art will recognize that, although reference is made herein to electrons, for embodiments in which the system is configured to operate using other charged particles, the term “charged particle” (or, analogously, the relevant charged particle, such as “positron”, “proton”, “ion”, etc.) can be substituted in place of the term “electron”. Analogously, some embodiments of the method may additionally or alternatively include accelerating and/or controlling charged particles other than electrons (e.g., positrons, protons, ions, etc.); accordingly, a person of skill in the art will recognize that the method can include accelerating, steering, focusing, and/or otherwise controlling any suitable charged particles, and that, for such embodiments, the term “charged particle” (or, analogously, the relevant charged particle, such as “positron”, “proton”, “ion”, etc.) can be substituted in place of the term “electron”. 2. System 2.1 Injection Beamline The injection beamline preferably functions to inject electrons (e.g., from one or more cathodes, such as photocathodes), such as injecting the electrons into a particle accelerator loop. The injection beamline preferably includes a plurality of electron optics elements. These elements are preferably axisymmetric (or substantially axisymmetric) and preferably define achromatic (or substantially achromatic) modules (e.g., in order to control space charge effects between the relatively low-energy electrons in