What we do...

The Particle Beam Physics Laboratory (PBPL) is a state-of-the-art center for research into beam physics and accelerator technologies. Relativistic particle beams and the accelerators which produce them have served as cutting edge tools in scientific research for three-quarters of a century. The practitioners of accelerator science can thus be placed in a tradition of instrument development dating back to Galileo. In the present time, beam physics is a vibrant, cross-disciplinary enterprise, which intersects heavily with high-energy density science, plasma physics, ultra-fast lasers, nonlinear dynamics and various high-field/high-power technologies. In addition, applications extend from the energy frontier in particle physics, to ultra-fast phenomena in biology and materials, and to industrial and medical uses.

PBPL research covers a wide range of beam dynamics and acceleration methods; beam-radiation interaction and productions; beam-plasma interactions; beam-matter interactions and diagnostics. Our work includes the creation of ultra-fast, high-brightness electron beams; the application of such beams to advanced accelerators using lasers and/or plasmas; the creation of new types of light sources, such as free-electron lasers and inverse-Compton scattering sources based on high brightness electron beams.

Upcoming Conference (Mar 25-28, 2013)

Physics and Applications of High Brightness Beams: Towards a Fifth Generation Light Source

SLAC Today (Jun 19, 2012)

User Spotlight: Testing New Accelerator Technology

Physical Review Letters (Mar 1, 2013)

Single-Shot Coherent Diffraction Imaging of Microbunched Relativistic Electron Beams for Free-Electron Laser Applications

Physical Review Letters (Feb 8, 2013)

Using the Relativistic Two-Stream Instability for the Generation of Soft-X-Ray Attosecond Radiation Pulses

Physics of Plasmas (Feb 28, 2013)

Observation of emission process in hydrogen-like nitrogen Z-pinch discharge with time integrated soft X-ray spectrum pinhole image

Physical Review Letters (Oct 19, 2012)

Stable Charged-Particle Acceleration and Focusing in a Laser Accelerator Using Spatial Harmonics

Applied Physics Letters (Sep 24, 2012)

Time-domain measurement of a self-amplified spontaneous emission free-electron laser with an energy-chirped electron beam and undulator tapering

Physical Review Letters (Jun 15, 2012)

Dielectric Wakefield Acceleration of a Relativistic Electron Beam in a Slab-Symmetric Dielectric Lined Waveguide