New Research Proposes Tabletop Particle Accelerator for X-Ray Production

Liverpool, England — Scientists have proposed a new concept for a particle accelerator that could fit on a table, potentially transforming how X-rays are produced. This research, accepted for publication in a scientific journal, explores how carbon nanotubes combined with laser light can create high-energy X-rays on a microchip.

Currently, the production of intense X-rays requires large facilities known as synchrotron light sources. These massive machines, often the size of a football stadium, are used for material studies and biological research. Traditional synchrotrons can be as large as 17 miles long, like the one at CERN in Geneva.

However, the new study suggests that ultra-compact accelerators may soon be possible, measuring only a few micrometers wide, smaller than a human hair. Such devices could generate X-rays similar to those produced by billion-pound synchrotron facilities but on a much smaller scale.

The research relies on surface plasmon polaritons, which are waves formed when laser light interacts with the surface of a material. In the simulations conducted by the research team, a circularly polarized laser pulse was introduced into a tiny hollow tube. This configuration caused the laser light to twist, much like a corkscrew, which in turn trapped and accelerated electrons, leading to coherent radiation emission.

Bifeng Lei, a research associate in the school of physical sciences who led the study, highlighted that the team created a microscopic synchrotron, allowing the same physical principles of large accelerators to operate at a nanoscopic level.

The research team used carbon nanotubes, cylindrical structures of carbon atoms, which can withstand high electric fields. These nanotubes can be arranged into a ‘forest’ of closely aligned hollow tubes, providing an optimal environment for interactions between laser light and electrons.

This tabletop accelerator could make cutting-edge X-ray sources more accessible to hospitals, universities, and industrial labs. It could pave the way for clearer medical imaging, faster drug development, and advanced materials testing.

The findings were recently presented at a conference on nanotechnology in accelerator physics in Liverpool. While the study is still at the simulation stage, the necessary technology, including powerful lasers and nanotube structures, is readily available in research laboratories.

The next essential step involves experimental validation, which, if successful, could lead to a new generation of compact radiation sources.