Accelerator Research and Development
Matter > Matter and Technologies - All Topics
Modern accelerator facilities and systems represent a decisive technology of the future. They are indispensable when it comes to answering the major questions of our time. Today, accelerator systems are not only used in fundamental research, but also for innovations in materials research, bio and nano sciences, active ingredients research, and medical applications such as cancer therapy. The development of innovative accelerators is already today and also continues to be in the future a driving force for the exploration of new high tech fields. The Helmholtz Association's research centers in Hamburg, Darmstadt, Berlin, Jülich, Karlsruhe and Dresden have now joined forces to optimally use their synergies in this sector. In addition, an important task of the cooperation partners revolves around the education and training of young scientists.
Already today, the research facility ELBE – which is based on a superconducting electron linear accelerator operated by the HZDR – permits the acceleration of ultrashort electron bunches in a quality which allows scientists to conduct significantly more and better experiments within a shorter period of time than with comparable, normal conducting accelerators. Within the scope of the research topic “Accelerator Research and Development,” which is also a Helmholtz portfolio topic, methods for electron beam diagnostics on superconducting accelerators are to be optimized further so that it will be possible to operate light sources with improved properties. Other research topics include, for example, innovative particle sources, electron-photon interactions, and ultrashort particle bunches as well as innovative concepts for circular accelerators and accelerators with ultrahigh gradients.
Press Releases
- When electrons ride a wave
- Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft fördert ATHENA-Projekt mit 29,99 Mio. Euro
- Graphene enables clock rates in the terahertz range
- Extremely small and fast: laser ignites hot plasma
- Wie der Teilchenstrahl seine Struktur bekommt
- Fusion by strong lasers
- Laser-plasma accelerators without limits
- A closer look at superconductors
- Seven at one pulse
- Dynamic, yet inertial – and definitely futuristic
- Zeitreise zum Urknall
- Power boost thanks to gold lamellae: Research team develops new material system to convert and generate terahertz waves
- Digital frontier runners: CASUS involved in development of the world's largest supercomputer Frontier
- Dresdner Team am JUWELS Booster: HZDR-Forscher*innen testen Rechenkraft von Europas leistungsfähigstem Supercomputer
- Dem Unbekannten auf der Spur: Ehemalige HZDR-Doktorandin erhält Preis der Amerikanischen Physikalischen Gesellschaft
- Exploring the origin of the elements
- Spuren(elemente) kosmischer Explosionen
- Electrons riding a double wave: Research team presents a new type of particle accelerator
- Seeking a faster pathway to synthetic data
- Fresh momentum for cutting-edge research from Germany
- An X-ray view of carbon: New measurement method promises spectacular insights into the interior of planets
- IReNA: Das Netzwerk der Netzwerke
- Producing medical isotopes at extreme energy density
- Laser flashes for cancer research - Research team achieves milestone in proton irradiation
- Schnelleres Licht für die Spitzenforschung aus Deutschland
- Milestone for laser technology: demonstration of a free-electron laser driven by plasma accelerated electron beams
- Laser-driven creation of high-energy ions brings next-gen accelerators out of the lab
- More quantum efficiency for maximum brilliance
- Frosty hydrogen as target: New method improves proton acceleration with high power laser
- Materie aus dem Nichts
- In memoriam Eckart Grosse
- Milestone in plasma acceleration: HZDR team achieves new energy record for next generation proton accelerators
- Ministerpräsidenten Schwesig und Kretschmer unterzeichnen Absichtserklärung zur Gründung des High Energy Density Instituts
- Metal foil as 3D scanner for electron beam: HZDR-Team presents new diagnostic tool for laser-plasma accelerator
- Weltweit erste laserbasierte Neutronenquelle für Industrieeinsatz
- Next-generation lasers for pioneering research: Amplitude and HZDR strengthen collaboration with new research lab
Involved HZDR institutes
Collaborations
- Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie
- Forschungszentrum Jülich
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung
Contacts
Publications
- Galletti, M.; Assmann, R.; Couprie, M.-E. et al.
Prospects for free-electron lasers powered by plasma-wakefield-accelerated beams
Nature Photonics 18(2024), 780-791 (10.1038/s41566-024-01474-3) - Huault, M.; Ehret, M.; de Luis, D. et al.
A Scintillator Detector for Spatiospectral Characterization of Proton Beams at High Repetition Rate
IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement 73(2024), 10607997 (10.1109/TIM.2024.3398120) - Assenbaum, S.; Bock, S.; Cowan, T. et al.
Prediction of laser-induced breakdown in sub-micron-thick dielectric targets for laser-ion acceleration
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 67(2025)1, 015032 (10.1088/1361-6587/ad994e) - Ordyna, P.; Bähtz, C.; Brambrink, E. et al.
Visualizing plasmons and ultrafast kinetic instabilities in laser-driven solids using X-ray scattering
Communications Physics 7(2024), 296 (10.1038/s42005-024-01776-6) - Ziegler, T.; Göthel, I.; Assenbaum, S. et al.
Laser-driven high-energy proton beams from cascaded acceleration regimes
Nature Physics 20(2024)7, 1211-1216 (10.1038/s41567-024-02505-0) - Schilz, J. D.; Bodenstein, E.; Brack, F.-E. et al.
Absolute energy-dependent scintillating screen calibration for real-time detection of laser-accelerated proton bunches
Review of Scientific Instruments 95(2024)7, 073303 (10.1063/5.0206931) - Lu, P.; Arnold, A.; Teichert, J. et al.
Simulation of ELBE SRF gun II for high-bunch-charge applications
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 830(2016), 536-544 (10.1016/j.nima.2016.05.087) - Xiang, R.; Arnold, A.; Kamps, T. et al.
Experimental studies of dark current in a superconducting RF photo-injector
Physical Review Accelerators and Beams 17(2014)4, 043401 (10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.17.043401) - Teichert, J.; Arnold, A.; Büttig, H. et al.
Free-Electron Laser Operation with a Superconducting Radio-Frequency Photoinjector at ELBE
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 743(2014), 114-120 (10.1016/j.nima.2014.01.006)