This work aims to exploit recent advances in technology to shrink the cost and size of accelerator-based synchrotron radiation facilities to a level appropriate for typical university and industry labs, as well as hospitals. Since their discovery in 1895, x-rays have been the single most powerful technique for determining the structure of all forms of materials. Through increasingly powerful techniques scientists and medical doctors, as well as quality-control inspectors, airline passenger screeners, and forensic investigators have resolved the length scales from the size of an atom to the size of the human body. Every day, that knowledge underpins our modern technologies, our health, and our safety. Today, however, the benchmark for x-ray performance is set by large accelerator-based synchrotron radiation facilities which, due to their size and cost, have to be located in national labs or major university facilities. The goal of this project is to bring the same cutting-edge capability to a smaller and cheaper scale.
This research aims to test a disruptive hypothesis that modestly relativistic electron beams can generate and sustain density modulations at x-ray scale. It aims to: (1) develop foundational understanding of diffraction of relativistic beams through experiments with thin slab Si crystals and to create a dynamical beam stop that extinguishes the forward beam; (2) determine the dependence of diffraction parameters on electron beam properties using experiment and simulation derived from first principles; (3) demonstrate that diffraction can result in a nanopatterned beam where Si grating structures and imaging optics are used to establish the density modulation in the patterned beam; (4) demonstrate that the nanopatterned beam retains its density modulation through acceleration with tunable period using a new state-of-the-art Arizona State University (ASU) accelerator facility. This project will facilitate mentorship and training of the next generation of x-ray and accelerator scientists and engineers in the new world class accelerator R&D and x-ray science facility. Dissemination with global reach will be achieved through the Nanopatterned Electron Beams Discovery Mission website, which will host training modules that fortify hands-on instructional classroom outreach programs to middle and high-school students and through K-12 'Science is Fun' program at ASU.
