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Development of a Rydberg Atom-based Charged Particle Beam Tracker

Rob Behary, Nicolas DeStefano, Irina V. Novikova, Eugeniy E. Mikhailov, S. Aubin, Todd D. Averett, Saeed Pegahan, Kevin Su, A. Camsonne, Shukui Zhang

Published Jan 1, 2024• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present the development of a Rydberg-atom based optical sensor for detecting an electron beam with the goal of determining its position and width via a non-invasive electric field measurement.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_at.2024.jw2a.94

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We present an all-optical detection approach to determine the position and spatial profile of an electron beam based on quantum properties of alkali metal atoms. To measure the electric field, produced by an electron beam, we excite thermal rubidium atoms to a highly excited Rydberg state via a two-photon ladder transition and detect Stark shifts of Rydberg states by monitoring frequencies of the corresponding electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) transmission peaks. We addressed several technical challenges in this approach. First, we use crossed laser beams to obtain spatial information about the electron beam position and geometry. Second, by pulsing the electron beam and using phase-sensitive optical detection, we separate the true electron beam electric signature from the parasitic electric fields due to photoelectric charges on the windows. Finally, we use a principle component analysis to further improve signal quality. We test this method to detect the current and to reconstruct a 2D profile of a 20 keV electron beam with currents ranging from 25 - 100 uA. While this technique provides less spatial resolution than fluorescence-based measurements, thanks to their speed and limited optical access requirements it can be useful for real-time non-invasive diagnostics of charged particle beams at accelerator facilities.
Rydberg atom electric field sensors offer a number of benefits over traditional antenna-based receivers. They are highly sensitive, small-size, and broadly tunable from near-DC to THz frequencies with a single sensor apparatus. While these sensors are unlikely to replace traditional receivers in many applications owing to their added complexity and narrowband response, they have the potential for a large impact in niche application areas. In this talk, I will highlight viable areas of impact and discuss how their performance compares to that of traditional sensors. Furthermore, I describe the recent progress made on the development of a Rydberg atom-based electric field sensor at MITRE.