The latest ATAP newsletter showcases our cutting-edge research in particle accelerator science and applications. This work drives progress toward next-generation particle accelerators and colliders, advances more resilient electronics and novel quantum technologies, supports fusion research, and enables better monitoring of mechanical deformation in advanced high-temperature superconductors.

For instance, researchers from ATAP’s Fusion Science & Ion Beam Technology Program, in collaboration with colleagues from the Centro Nacional de Aceleradores and the departments of Atomic, Molecular, and Nuclear Physics and Applied Physics II at the University of Seville in Spain, have utilized intense and short-lived ion pulses to study the effects of radiation in silicon. This research, featured in a new book titled Applications of Accelerators in the Quantum Technology Era (CRC Press, November 2024), enhances our understanding of defect formation in semiconductors and advances the development of optical qubits for novel quantum devices.

For the first time, research led by ATAP’s Advanced Modeling Program (AMP) has extended mesh refinement—a simulation technique that improves the resolution in critical areas of a model with progressively finer meshes—to investigate a phenomenon known as relativistic magnetic reconnection in plasmas. This process involves the release of large amounts of energy that heat and accelerate charged particles in the plasma. This work allows for more accurate and efficient modeling of the varying spatial scales involved in reconnection, promising to further the development of magnetic fusion devices and astrophysics research.

The AMP team is also collaborating with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory colleagues to integrate two different simulation techniques: particle-in-cell and Monte Carlo Collisions. This collaboration aims to address the issue of anomalous numerical heating in simulations, which artificially increases the kinetic energy (and thus temperature) of the simulated particles, compromising the accuracy of these simulations. The research enables more accurate and cost-effective simulations of the complex laser-plasma interactions and plasma physics, supporting advances in inertial fusion energy.

ATAP’s Superconducting Magnet Program and the Lab’s Energy Geosciences Division have successfully employed fiber-optic sensors to monitor mechanical deformations in high-temperature superconducting cables made from rare-earth barium copper oxide. This is an important step toward magnets built with these cables that have the potential to generate magnetic fields of 20 tesla or more, opening the door for powerful new magnet technologies for applications in fusion and particle accelerators.

Research from our BELLA Center and collaborators, which used the BELLA Petawatt laser to accelerate high-quality electron beams to over 10 GeV in just 30 centimeters, has been featured in Physics Today. The work is a major milestone toward advanced laser-plasma accelerators, which promise more capable, smaller, and less expensive machines than current technologies.

Connecting with future generations of science and technology professionals is essential to the Lab’s mission. In March, ATAP and the Lab’s K-12 STEM Education Program hosted James Logan High School students as part of the Lab’s educational outreach activities. In February, ATAP, in partnership with the Lab’s Engineering Division, Nuclear Science Division, and K-12 STEM Education Program, guided students and teachers from Berkeley, Latitude, Antioch, and Richmond High Schools on tours of the Lab’s Magnet Assembly Area and the Advanced Light Source.

Continuing our proud tradition of supporting U.S. Armed Forces veterans, Lab representatives attended the U.S. Coast Guard Base Alameda Career Summit in February, engaging with service members interested in pursuing opportunities at the Lab.

At our March All-to-All meeting, Frank Rosado, an ATAP Operations Team administrator, gave an excellent and entertaining talk on appreciation as a core value of stewardship in the division. He discussed the difference between recognition and appreciation, its impact on workplace morale, and how simple words and actions can help people feel valued and enhance motivation. In our February All-to-All meeting, Ian Pong, a staff scientist in our Superconducting Magnet Program, delivered an insightful and thought-provoking presentation on trust in the workplace. He referenced findings from a recent survey of leaders, which revealed that relationships are the most decisive factor driving trust in leadership. The study found that when relationships are weak, trust in leadership declines significantly, even if judgment and consistency are high.

Written by Carl A. Williams or other authors as credited.

For more information on ATAP News articles, contact caw@lbl.gov.