Physicists control the flow of electron pulses through a nanostructure channel

Particle accelerators are essential tools in research areas such as biology, materials science and particle physics. Researchers are always looking for more powerful ways of accelerating particles to improve existing equipment and increase capacities for experiments. One such powerful technology is dielectric laser acceleration (DLA). In this approach, particles are accelerated in the optical near-field which is created when ultra-short laser pulses are focused on a nanophotonic structure. Using this method, researchers have succeeded in guiding electrons through a vacuum channel, an essential component of particle accelerators.