
Particle acceleration using top-illuminated nanophotonic dielectric structures
Author(s) -
Roni Shiloh,
Tomáš Chlouba,
Peyman Yousefi,
Peter Hommelhoff
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.420235
Subject(s) - acceleration , nanophotonics , optics , particle acceleration , laser , wafer , dielectric , physics , materials science , optoelectronics , classical mechanics
In dielectric laser acceleration, nanostructures etched into silicon are used to convert free-space ultrashort laser pulses, incident from the side and parallel to the wafer substrate, to accelerate particles. This current approach is experimentally challenging and, as it turns out, not quite necessary for most experiments and practical applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate and numerically verify the efficacy of top-illuminated structures, and measure a maximum acceleration gradient of 49.2 ± 3.1 MeV/m. We discuss how, in practice, this approach proves superior to the current standard in the field, and expect it to become the definitive choice for nanophotonic particle laser acceleration.