Novel Fabrication Techniques for the Production of RF Photoinjectors

High duty factor, high gradient photoinjectors are a critical component of the next generation of applications in high energy electron beam-based physics. The key technical problem for high average power, normal conducting photoinjectors is effective structure cooling. Currently, the fabrication of high average power photoinjectors relies on conventional design and fabrication techniques, with limited cooling channel geometries. This project will investigate a novel fabrication technique that will allow complex, conformal cooling channels to be integrated into radio frequency (RF) structures. In Phase I, sample pieces of advanced copper alloys produced with this new technique will be tested, and a photoinjector gun will be designed to incorporate the improved cooling channels. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: High-brightness, high-power electron guns would have applications to linear colliders (ILC), x-ray free-electron lasers (FELs), and inverse Compton scattering (ICS) sources for medicine, as well as associated imaging/analysis applications to homeland security. The technology also should find use in a wide variety of RF structures, such as linacs and klystrons.