"Accelerator on Chip" Could Reduce Size and Cost of Particle Accelerators [Videos]

Researchers have found a way that can reduce the cost and size of particle accelerators, helping popularize its use in science and medicine.  

In the study, researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, used lasers to accelerate electrons at a rate ten times higher than what can be achieved normally. The experts believe that their study could pave the way for low-cost, "tabletop" accelerators.

Conventional particle accelerators work by using microwaves to increase the energy of electrons. The latest study shows that lasers can be used to boost the electrons.

"We still have a number of challenges before this technology becomes practical for real-world use, but eventually it would substantially reduce the size and cost of future high-energy particle colliders for exploring the world of fundamental particles and forces. It could also help enable compact accelerators and X-ray devices for security scanning, medical therapy and imaging, and research in biology and materials science," said Joel England, the SLAC physicist who led the experiments.

Particles are usually accelerated in two stages. First the electrons are boosted to reach the speed of light. Then any additional speed-enhancing only builds the energy within the electrons, a press release  said.

In the current experiment, researchers first used a standard accelerator to get the electrons whizzing at near-light speeds. Then the electrons were focused into a tiny channel within a fused silica glass chip. The infrared laser then interacted with the ridges on the channel.

Researchers are hopeful that the "accelerator on a chip" can match SLAC's 2-mile-long linear accelerator in terms of boosting power and delivering at least a million more electron pulses per second.

The study is published in the journal Nature.