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[Formula: see text]Ac is a radio-isotope that can be linked to biological vector molecules to treat certain distributed cancers using targeted alpha therapy. However, developing [Formula: see text]Ac-labelled radiopharmaceuticals remains a challenge due to the supply shortage of pure [Formula: see text]Ac itself. Several techniques to obtain pure [Formula: see text]Ac are being investigated, amongst which is the high-energy proton spallation of thorium or uranium combined with resonant laser ionization and mass separation. As a proof-of-principle, we perform off-line resonant ionization mass spectrometry on two samples of [Formula: see text]Ac, each with a known activity, in different chemical environments. We report overall operational collection efficiencies of 10.1(2)% and 9.9(8)% for the cases in which the [Formula: see text]Ac was deposited on a rhenium surface and a ThO[Formula: see text] mimic target matrix respectively. The bottleneck of the technique was the laser ionization efficiency, which was deduced to be 15.1(6)%. ispartof: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS vol:13 issue:1 ispartof: location:England status: published

$$^{225}$$ 225 Ac is a radio-isotope that can be linked to biological vector molecules to treat certain distributed cancers using targeted alpha therapy. However, developing $$^{225}$$ 225 Ac-labelled radiopharmaceuticals remains a challenge due to the supply shortage of pure $$^{225}$$ 225 Ac itself. Several techniques to obtain pure $$^{225}$$ 225 Ac are being investigated, amongst which is the high-energy proton spallation of thorium or uranium combined with resonant laser ionization and mass separation. As a proof-of-principle, we perform off-line resonant ionization mass spectrometry on two samples of $$^{225}$$ 225 Ac, each with a known activity, in different chemical environments. We report overall operational collection efficiencies of 10.1(2)% and 9.9(8)% for the cases in which the $$^{225}$$ 225 Ac was deposited on a rhenium surface and a ThO$$_{2}$$ 2 mimic target matrix respectively. The bottleneck of the technique was the laser ionization efficiency, which was deduced to be 15.1(6)%.

In the Phase 2 of the AWAKE first experimental run (from May to November 2018), an electron beam was used to probe and test proton-driven wakefield accelera-tion in a rubidium plasma column. The witness electron bunches were produced using an RF-gun equipped with a Cs₂Te photocathode illuminated by a tailorable ultrafast ultraviolet (UV) laser pulse. The construction of the UV beam optical system enabled appropriate transverse beam shaping and control of its pulse duration, size, and position on the photocathode, as well as time delay with respect to the ionizing laser pulse that seeds the plasma wakefields in the proton bunches. Variable photocathode illumination provided the required flexibility to produce electron bunches with variable charge, emittance, and injection trajectory into the plasma column. In this work, we analyze the overall charge capture and shot-to-shot reproducibility of the proton-driven plasma wakefield accelerator with various UV illumination and electron bunch injection parameters., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

The CERN Photoemission Laboratory was founded in 1989 with the goal of studying laser-driven electron sources, for producing high-brightness electron beams within the framework of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) study. To produce these photocathodes, two processes run in parallel. The first process, which is slow and asynchronous, controls and monitors the evaporation of photoemissive material. For this first step several power supplies are controlled to evaporate different metals through the Joule effect, with the power maintained constant in time and the thickness deposited monitored. The second process is synchronized with a laser trigger ranging from 0.1 to 50Hz, where the photocurrent and laser energy are measured to calculate the Quantum Efficiency. The control system for these processes has recently been renovated to benefit from the modularity of a PXI-based real-time environment using the standard CERN MiddleWare communication layer (CMW). This paper describes the challenges of the fabrication process as well as the flexibility introduced by using a PXI system., Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Accelerator and Large Experimental Physics Control Systems, ICALEPCS2021, Shanghai, China

The search for high-performance photocathodes is a priority in the field of particle accelerators. The surface characteristics of a photocathode affect many important factors of the photoemission process including the photoemission threshold, the intrinsic emittance and the quantum efficiency. These factors in turn define the electron beam quality, which is measurable using figures of merit like beam emittance, brightness and energy spread. We present characterisation measurements for four caesium telluride photocathodes synthesized at CERN. The photocathodes were transported under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and analysed at STFC Daresbury Laboratory, using ASTeC’s Multiprobe (SAPI)* for surface characterisation via XPS and STM, and for Mean Transverse Energy (MTE) measurements using the Transverse Energy Spread Spectrometer (TESS)**. The MTE measurements were estimated at cryogenic and room temperatures based on the respective transverse energy distribution curves. We discuss correlations found between the synthesis parameters, and the measured surface characteristics and MTE values., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

This paper describes the current functionality and newly implemented capabilities of the CLEAR facility photo-injector laser. The primary focus for CLEAR is general R&D and component studies for existing and future machines at CERN. Accordingly, its photo-injector laser system has been upgraded in order to accommodate for a large range of experimental setups and tests. The systems and performance presented here have been developed with a view on improving the CLEAR injector flexibility, reliability and its systematic optimization.

In the AWAKE experiment, the electron beam is used to probe the proton-driven wakefield acceleration in a 10 m long rubidium vapor source. Electron bunches are produced using an RF-gun equipped with a Cs2Te photocathode illuminated by an ultraviolet (UV) laser pulse. To generate the UV laser beam a fraction of the infrared (IR) laser beam used for ionization of rubidium is extracted from the laser system, time-compressed to a picosecond scale and frequency tripled using nonlinear crystals. The transport line of the laser beam over the 20 m distance was built using rigid supports for mirrors and air-evacuated tube to prevent any possible beam pointing instabilities due to vibrations and air convection. Construction of the UV beam optical system enables appropriate beam shaping and control of its size and position on the cathode, as well as time delay with respect to the IR pulse, i.e. with respect to the plasma wakefield seeder. In this paper, we present the design of the UV beam line and results of its commissioning regarding IR/UV conversion, beam pointing stability, and means of beam control and monitoring., Proceedings of the 10th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2019, Melbourne, Australia

The drive beam of CLIC requires unusually high peak and average currents which is challenging for the electron source. As an alternative to the thermionic electron gun foreseen in the baseline design, a photoinjector option is under study at CERN using the PHIN photoinjector, which was designed for a bunch charge of 2.3 nC and 1200 ns train length. During operation with nominal train length in 2014, a large pressure increase in the vacuum system, attributed to a heating of the Faraday cup, caused a degradation of the photocathode. To overcome this problem a vacuum window has been installed to separate the Faraday cup from the rest of the vacuum system. In addition the train length has been further increased to 1600 ns to advance the beam parameters towards CLIC requirements. In this paper recent improved photocathode lifetime measurements carried out under these new conditions will be presented and compared with earlier measurements. Furthermore, the utilized Cs2Te cathode has been analyzed with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) before and after its usage in PHIN to get a better understanding of photocathode surface deterioration effects, which will also be discussed., Proceedings of the 7th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2016, Busan, Korea

In the AWAKE experiment a high-power laser pulse ionizes rubidium atoms inside a 10 m long vapor cell thus creating a plasma for proton-driven wakefield acceleration of electrons. Propagating co-axial with the SPS proton beam the laser pulse seeds the self-modulation instability within the proton bunch on the front of plasma creation. The same laser will also generate UV-pulses for production of a witness electron beam using an RF-photoinjector. The experimental area formerly occupied by CNGS facility is being modified to accommodate the AWAKE experiment. A completely new laser laboratory was built, taking into account specific considerations related to underground work. The requirements for AWAKE laser installation have been fulfilled and vacuum beam lines for delivery of laser beams to the plasma cell and RF-photoinjector have been constructed. First results of laser beam hardware commissioning tests following the laser installation will be presented., Proceedings of the 7th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2016, Busan, Korea

R&D on photocathodes takes place at CERN within the CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) project. Photocathodes are produced as thin films on Oxygen Free copper substrate using a co-deposition technique, and characterized in a dedicated laboratory with a DC photo-electron gun. A new UHV carrier vessel compatible with CERN’s XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) analysis equipment has been commissioned and is used to transport photocathodes from the production laboratory to perform a systematic study of different compounds used as photoemissive materials. In this paper photocathodes used in a RF photoinjector will be characterized and the correlation of their surface properties with their performance will be investigated., Proceedings of the 6th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2015, Richmond, VA, USA

For the CLIC drive beam a photoinjector option is under study at CERN as an alternative to the thermionic electron gun in the CLIC baseline design. The CLIC drive beam requires a high bunch charge of 8.4 nC and 0.14 ms long trains with 2 ns bunch spacing, which is challenging for a photoinjector. In particular the required long and high intensity laser pulses cause a degradation of the beam quality during the frequency conversion process, which generates the ultra-violet laser beam needed for standard Cs2Te photocathodes. To overcome this issue Cs3Sb cathodes sensitive to green light have been studied at the high-charge PHIN photoinjector since a few years. In this paper recent measurements of fundamental properties of Cs3Sb photocathodes such as quantum efficiency, cathode lifetime and dark current from summer 2014 will be presented, and compared with previous measurements and with the performance of Cs2Te photocathodes., Proceedings of the 6th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2015, Richmond, VA, USA

The high-charge PHIN photoinjector has originally been developed to study the feasibility of a photoinjector option for the drive beam of the CLIC Test Facility 3 (CTF3) at CERN and is now being used to investigate the feasibility of a drive beam photoinjector for CLIC. In this paper recent R&D efforts to improve the parameters of the existing system towards CLIC requirements will be discussed. This includes studies of a feedback loop for intensity stabilization, the upgrade of the PHIN vacuum system and the planned upgrade of the driving laser system. For photocathode production and R&D a dedicated photoemission laboratory is available at CERN. To increase the production rate of photocathodes and the availability of the photoemission lab for other studies, an upgrade of the photocathode preparation system with a load-lock system is under study and will also be presented., Proceedings of the 5th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2014, Dresden, Germany

Within the CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) project, feasibility studies of a photo injector option for the drive beam as an alternative to its baseline design using a thermionic electron gun are on-going. This R&D program covers both the laser and the photocathode side. Whereas the available laser pulse energy in ultra-violet (UV) is currently limited by the optical defects in the 4thharmonics frequency conversion crystal induced by the0.14 ms long pulse trains, recent measurements of Cs3Sbphotocathodes sensitive to green light showed their potential to overcome this limitation. Moreover, using visible laser beams leads to better stability of produced electron bunches and one can take advantages of the availability of higher quality optics. The studied Cs3Sbphotocathodes have been produced in the CERN photo emission laboratory using the co-deposition technique and tested in a DC gun set-up. The analysis of data acquired during the cathode production process will be presented in this paper, as well as the results of lifetime measurements in the DC gun

A photoinjector, PHIN (PHotoINjector), has been realized at CERN by a joint effort of several institutes within the European Coordinated Accelerator Research in Europe program. The test facility has been installed and commissioned at CERN with the aim to demonstrate the beam parameters needed for the CLIC Test Facility 3 (CTF3). This beam is unique with respect to its long bunch train and high average charge per bunch requirements. The nominal beam for CTF3 consists of 1908 bunches each having a 2.33 nC charge and a bunch frequency of 1.5 GHz. Thus, a total charge of similar to 4.4 mu C has to be extracted and accelerated. The stability of the intensity and the beam parameters along this exceptionally high average current train is crucial for the correct functioning of the CLIC drive beam scheme. Consequently, extensive time-resolved measurements of the transverse and longitudinal beam parameters have been developed, optimized, and performed. The shot-to-shot intensity stability has been studied in detail for the electron and the laser beams, simultaneously. The PHIN photoinjector has been commissioned between 2008 and 2010 during intermittent operations. This paper reports on the obtained results in order to demonstrate the feasibility and the stability of the required beam parameters.

The high charge PHIN photo injector is studied at CERN as an electron source for the CLIC Test Facility (CTF3) drive beam as an alternative to the present thermionic gun. The objective of PHIN is to demonstrate the feasibility of a laser-based electron source for CLIC. The photo injector operates with a 2.5 cell, 3 GHz RF gun using a Cs₂Te photocathode illuminated by UV laser pulses generated by amplifying and frequency quadrupling the signal from a Nd:YLF oscillator running at 1.5GHz. The challenge is to generate a beam structure of 1908μbunches with 2.33nC perμbunch at 1.5GHz leading to a high integrated train charge of 4446nC and nominal beam energy of 5.5MeV with current stability below 1%. In the present test stand, a segmented beam dump has been implemented allowing a time resolved measurement of the energy and energy spread of the electron beam. In this paper we report and discuss the measured transverse and longitudinal beam parameters for both the full and time gated train of bunches, and the obtained photocathode quantum efficiency. Laser pointing and amplitude stability results are discussed taking into account correlation between laser and electron beam., Proceedings of the 1st International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2010, Kyoto, Japan