Diamond-based dielectric laser acceleration

The field of dielectric laser accelerators (DLA) garnered a considerable interest in the past six years as it offers novel opportunities in accelerator science and potentially transformative applications. Currently, the most widespread approach considers silicon-based structures due to their low absorption and high refractive index in the infrared spectral region and the well-developed silicon processing technology. In this paper we investigate a diamond as an alternative to silicon, mainly due to its considerably higher damage threshold. In particular, we find that our diamond grating allows a three times higher acceleration gradient (60 MeV/m) compared to silicon gratings designed for a similar electron energy. Using more complex geometries, GeV/m acceleration gradients are within reach for subrelativistic electrons. (c) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

The field of dielectric laser accelerators has gained significant interest in recent years due to its potential applications and transformative opportunities. This paper explores the use of diamond as an alternative material to silicon, finding that it enables higher acceleration gradients and offers greater potential for subrelativistic electrons.