Photon-based Particle Acceleration and Manipulation

Dear Colleagues,

The synergy between photonic sources and accelerator physics is at the cornerstone of future accelerators. Despite the mature technological developments from both particle physics and photonics, their combination has only recently started, and it is expected to become a major precursor in accelerator physics programs around the globe. Future laser-based accelerators include a vast range of methodologies applicable from large-scale colliders for the exploration of fundamental physics to compact systems used, for example, in radiation therapy. A variety of photonic techniques have allowed for the bridging of the gap between lasers and accelerators, among them some of the most prominent ones, including attosecond timing control and synchronization, multi-PW ultrafast lasers for wakefield acceleration, direct laser-driven particle acceleration, dielectric accelerators on a photonic chip or X-ray, and Gamma-ray production, to name a few. Some of these techniques are based on more fundamental breakthroughs that were worth a Nobel prize, notably chirped pulsed amplification (2018) and optical frequency comb generation (2005). Access to the complete control of photons at atomic scales is quintessential for their use in practical accelerator applications. Such an increase in accuracy, however, needs to be realized in step with the available peak and average power, and wall-plug efficiency. This Special Issue focuses on the most recent advances in the field of photonic sources and techniques for particle acceleration and manipulation. Topics include but are not limited to the following:  

•  The development of compact, direct laser accelerators;
• Advanced ultrahigh peak and average power laser systems for wakefield acceleration and X-ray/gamma-ray production;
• Particle production and manipulation using photonic sources;
• Dielectric and on-chip accelerator techniques, including metamaterial photonic circuit development;
• Research of novel techniques to confine light with elemental spatio-temporal resolution;
• Optical timing distribution;
• Applications of photon-based accelerators.

Dr. Edu Granados
Guest Editor

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