LEAPS-MPS: Advanced Electron Sources for Accelerator Applications

About This Grant

An electron source is a key component in electron accelerator technology, with applications spanning from technical and industrial fields to exploring the nature of matter. Due to key features, the photoemission-based electron sources, or photocathodes, are the technology-of-choice for many advanced accelerator applications. However, the performance of conventional photocathodes limits the design, scientific reach, and accessibility of these systems. This project aims to develop advanced methods and techniques towards enhancing the performance of conventional electron sources and developing novel sources with superior characteristics. The project deliverable will be next-generation electron sources, which will dramatically expand accelerator capabilities and, in a long-term perspective, allow significant reduction of their size and cost while simultaneously making them more accessible for science, medicine, and education. The project will also provide hands-on experience on advanced photocathode development to graduate and undergraduate students, helping create a skilled STEM workforce. One objective of this project is to develop highly efficient alkali-antimonide photocathodes through the controlled growth of materials with desired stoichiometry to enhance the photoemission characteristics. The most effective method for the growth control will be identified and implemented in the thermal evaporation system. Another objective of this project is to establish pulsed laser deposition (PLD) capabilities toward epitaxial growth of alkali-antimonide photocathodes for bright and spin-polarized beam applications. The PLD system will be updated to integrate the alkali sources and photocurrent measurement scheme. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.