Lancaster University, as a part of The Cockroft Institute, has agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI ERIC), to collaborate on research in high-power laser and far-infrared (“Terahertz”) techniques for electron beam acceleration.

The Cockroft Institute is a partnership between Lancaster University, the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester and Strathclyde, and Science and Technology Research Council dedicated to developing and constructing particle accelerators for pure and applied research purposes. The Cockcroft Institute was established almost two decades ago, and is the national centre for accelerator research and development in the UK, comprising of over 200 academics and professional accelerator staff dedicated to innovating the future of accelerator science.

The Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI ERIC) is a research infrastructure with the world’s largest and most advanced collection of high-power, high-repetition-rate lasers. As an international user facility dedicated to multi-disciplinary science and research applications, ELI provides access to state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge research. The ELI ERIC operates as a single multi-site organisation with complementary facilities specialised in different fields of research with extreme light. The Attosecond Light Pulse Source Facility (ELI ALPS), based in Hungary, is primarily aimed at realising bright, ultrafast, laser-driven secondary photon sources, driven by high-intensity, high-average power, few-cycle-pulse lasers. ELI ALPS is also developing state-of-the-art high repetition rate, laser-driven particle (electron, ion, neutron) acceleration beamlines.

The collaboration agreement targets research in laser-driven plasma acceleration, with Lancaster and Manchester providing expertise in laser-particle beam manipulation on ultra-fast (femtosecond, 10-15 second) time scales. STFC will provide insight and expertise in the control and capture of micron-size beams which are generated when laser beams with 100’s or terawatts of power interact with a plasma.

The collaboration has arisen from research undertaken by Lancaster and Manchester in laser-driven control of electron beams, including in user experiments at the ELI ALPS Facility. The agreement supports the establishment of joint PhD studentships, and a reciprocal arrangement for the exchange or hosting of PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and ELI staff.

Professor Steven Jamison of Lancaster’s Physics Department and the Lancaster lead in the MoU has welcomed the signing and formal establishment of ongoing collaboration, commenting: “This MoU is a recognition of the significant research potential that arises through the bringing together of our expertise and facility resources. It is my wish, and expectation, that through collaboration we will achieve important advances in the science and technology of generating and controlling high-energy electron beams with lasers. The technologies being targeted are revolutionary in applications such as x-ray sources and particle beams for high energy physics.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Cockroft Institute on laser-driven plasma acceleration which has broad scientific and technological applications, from high-energy physics to next-generation radiation sources,” says Allen Weeks, ELI ERIC Director General. “Collaborations like this are at the heart of ELI ERIC’s mission to push the boundaries of high-energy laser science while also supporting the education and training of PhD students, early career researchers and staff. These exchanges will facilitate connections and engagements between our institutes for both of our benefits.”