EUCLID TECHLABS, LLC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 09b

Description

The investigation of beam halo transverse distribution is of great importance for beam loss and background control in high current accelerators. Halo monitoring is also very important at modern x-ray light sources in particular the ones with in-vacuum undulators to protect permanent magnets from radiation damage caused by the beam halo. Traditional wire scanner measurement utilizing carbon or tungsten wires is limited by the damage threshold of these materials. These devices have to be routinely serviced due to beam-induced damage of the wires. Euclid Techlabs LLC proposes an electrodeless method to measure halo with a diamond scraper. This measurement utilizes a microwave resonator placed around the beamline element which is sensitive to charged particle-induced conductivity. Microwave spectroscopy measurement, having an incredible dynamic range of six orders of magnitude is expected to be very sensitive. Diamond is chosen as a radiation hard material with excellent thermal properties. The absence of electrodes makes the device robust under the beam. In Phase I, we will produce a prototype resonator with a diamond sensor element that will be characterized on the bench. The charged particle beam induced carrier lifetime and density depends on beam energy, material properties, dopants and defects. These numbers are not well researched. We will simulate different cases to determine possible operational range of the detector. The proposed approach is robust, plug and play and can be employed in a large number of accelerator facilities all over the world. This no-electrical-contact diamond based halo measurement can potentially replace wire scanners which require routine maintenance.