Speaker
Description
on behalf of EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB and EuAPS groups
The development of compact light sources in the X-ray and XUV spectral regions relies on high-energy, high-brightness electron beams, typically in the 100 MeV to few GeV range. Conventional RF linacs capable of producing such beams are large-scale installations - often several kilometers long - due to their limited accelerating gradient.
Plasma-based acceleration, offering gradients up to three orders of magnitude higher, represents a breakthrough toward smaller, more cost-effective facilities, paving the way for a new generation of compact, user-oriented X-ray sources.
Within the framework of the European EuPRAXIA initiative [1], included in the ESFRI roadmap, the Frascati National Laboratories (LNF) are developing two complementary plasma-based user facilities: EuAPS (EuPRAXIA Advanced Photon Sources) and EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB [2].
EuAPS, funded by the Next Generation EU program, is the first to be realized. It will provide a compact betatron X-ray source driven by the 250 TW FLAME laser [3], capable of producing ultrashort (tens of femtoseconds) and broadband X-ray pulses (2–8 keV). A dedicated user beamline is expected to become operational by mid-2026.
EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB, in turn, is developing a beam driven plasma accelerator facility combining a high-brightness X-band linac and a plasma acceleration stage, with the goal of generating FEL radiation in the XUV (3-15 nm) and VUV (50-150 nm) ranges by the end of 2031. The Technical Design Report is nearing completion, and the construction of the new infrastructure is expected to start by the end of 2026.
This contribution presents the first two compact plasma-based user facilities under development at LNF within the EuPRAXIA framework, highlighting their design concepts, technological advances, and progress toward the realization of next generation plasma-driven radiation sources.
References
[1] R. W. Assmann et al, Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top., 229 (2020)
[2] M. Ferrario et al, Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A, 909 (2018)
[3] Galletti, Mario, et al, Applied Sciences 14.19 (2024): 8619