Periodic Reporting for period 3 - AccelOnChip (Attosecond physics, free electron quantum optics, photon generation and radiation biology with the accelerator on a photonic chip)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-10-01 bis 2025-03-31
In AccelOnChip, we mainly deal with novel nanophotonics-based control of electrons. The idea is to use nanophotonic structures to exert optical nearfield forces on electrons to gain an entirely new level of control of there electrons. On the one hand, we strive to build the particle accelerator on a nanophotonic chip, and on the other hand we strive to reach new levels of quantum control over the elecrtrons. In both fields, we have made large progress: we could demonstrate new ways of complex optical phase space control over electrons (published in Nature in 2021), and many other science progress around this including diamond as a nanophototonics material, new ways of laser illumination of theses structures etc. On the quantum aspect of electron light coupling, we could demonstrate that this can also be done in a rather simple scanning electron microscope (Phys. Rev. Lett. 2022), so that not always complex and expensive transmission electron microscopes need to be invovled. Furthermore, we have introduced inverse photonic desing into this field of research. Based on this, we could desing and build a high-efficience light electron structure. In collaborative work with our partners around I. Kaminer (Technion), we could show that we can now use the electron spectrum to discriminate the quantum statistics of light beams. We attain very different spectra if we use coherent light from a laser or thermal light, even though the average power, central wavelength of the light interacting with the electron are all the same. We also address new forms of light generation from the elctrons on chip and have also introduced inverse photonics desing to this field.
Why is this important for society: we foresee our work to end in miniature, chip-sized particle accelerators, which might end up being incorporated in new surgical instruments. We can see that proximity tumor treatment with electrons accelerated on a chip becomes a reality. Furthermore, we exptect extremely interesting prospects in the quantum coupling of light and electrons. This might lead to new forms of electron microscopy, where we image coherence, something that is at the core quantum technology, but which can not by easily measured with high spatial resolution to date. The third aspect, new forms of light generation, is the driving force of recently buildt multi-billion euro machines such as the European X-FEL, SwissFEL, LCLS in Stanford or the FEL in Japan. Coming up with new ways of light generation might lead to easier access to light sources, to the extent that our work might end up in new light sources that can easily be installed in any university lab or small company.
Why is this important for society: we foresee our work to end in miniature, chip-sized particle accelerators, which might end up being incorporated in new surgical instruments. We can see that proximity tumor treatment with electrons accelerated on a chip becomes a reality. Furthermore, we exptect extremely interesting prospects in the quantum coupling of light and electrons. This might lead to new forms of electron microscopy, where we image coherence, something that is at the core quantum technology, but which can not by easily measured with high spatial resolution to date. The third aspect, new forms of light generation, is the driving force of recently buildt multi-billion euro machines such as the European X-FEL, SwissFEL, LCLS in Stanford or the FEL in Japan. Coming up with new ways of light generation might lead to easier access to light sources, to the extent that our work might end up in new light sources that can easily be installed in any university lab or small company.
We have worked heavily on all 5 objectives and have made great progress in all of them. Obj. 1-4 yielded already a number of excellent results, some of which have appeared already in all kinds of journals including various with highest impact, Objective 5 has already progressed to the point where soon results can be expected. See more specific parts of the report for more details.