The most challenging noise sources in a plasma accelerator are generated by the RF-pulsed power stations, since the RF signal lasts only for a few microseconds and thus the feedback must react within this short time. A feedback loop of this kind is presently installed at SPARC_LAB and working with good performance, reducing the RF phase noise inside a single 4.5 μs pulse by a factor 10 to tens of fs RMS.

 

Going towards higher RF frequency, the power station can support only 1-2 μs long pulses and thus the requirement on the feedback bandwidth will increase accordingly. Furthermore, technological solutions to mitigate the noise in the machine sub-systems with respect to the main facility reference clock are required to minimize the final arrival time jitter of the beam at the experiment site. In close collaboration with Instrumentation Technologies, this project will study noise mechanisms and their efficient management and ideally suppression. This will include the design of the electronics, the construction of a prototype and testing at SPARC_LAB.    

 

The Fellow will study the main jitter sources in a photo-injector, including phase noise of accelerating fields, photo-cathode and interaction laser arrival time, together with their impact on beam arrival time. This will be achieved by means of a linear/non-linear model and the simulation of jitter propagation for different accelerator working points, such as RF on crest acceleration and RF/magnetic/hybrid compression using appropriate numerical codes. These simulation studies will be complemented by measurement taken at SPARC_LAB.

 

In addition, the Fellow will have access to the wide-ranging EuPRAXIA-DN training program which will include several international schools and workshops on plasma accelerator science and technology, as well as complementary skills.