Compact RF structures in the sub-terahertz regime are promising for structure wakefield acceleration due to their ability in achieving high gradients in a reduced footprint. We report on the design, fabrication, and testing of a metallic corrugated waveguide operating at 110 GHz, tailored to the 42 MeV electron beam parameters at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA). The experiment utilized the emittance exchange (EEX) beamline at AWA for longitudinal bunch shaping in two configurations: (1) a single short drive bunch to study high decelerating gradients, and (2) a two-bunch scheme featuring a triangularly shaped drive bunch followed by a long witness bunch to probe the wakefield and achieve a high transformer ratio. We will present the experimental design and results, which show good agreement with simulation predictions.

High-resolution diagnostic instruments for measuring particle beam profile and charge are essential for characterizing the improved performance of charged particle accelerators. Beam diagnostics based on synthetic single crystal diamond (SCD) exhibit superior radiation-hardness, chemical stability, fast saturated drift speed, and unparalleled thermal conductivity. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the SCD sensor and the high-speed signal acquisition system have been developed for measuring intensity of individual bunches. At the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator, a 63 MeV electron beam with diameter of 5 mm and charge below 10 pC used to measure the beam halo at a radial distance of 12 mm from the beam center. This presentation will report on the detailed SCD design and electronics, halo monitoring at various charges, bunches, and distances, and plans for future testing at LANL.

The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator test facility will be upgrading the RF photoinjector with a new symmetrized RF photogun (named G4) in order to increase beam brightness and stability. In conjunction with G4, three new solenoid coils have been commissioned to replace the previous solenoids, with new considerations to preserve field symmetry and combat higher order modes within the coil that could reduce beam quality. We report here on the recent field mapping efforts on the solenoid, as well as discuss how these measurements can be used to aid alignment of the coils during the installation of the new G4 RF photogun.

Accurately recording an electron bunch’s longitudinal profile is an important diagnostic for wakefield accelerators employing shaped bunches to increase transformer ratios.  Electro-optic sampling of terahertz radiation from the bunch is an attractive approach due to its non-destructive nature. In preparation for future characterization experiments, the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator test facility has recently installed a 1550 nm laser system, including the necessary support systems to synchronize with the photoinjector laser system at 81.25 MHz. We report here on the initial installation and synchronization demonstrations.

The Argonne Wakefield Accelerator test facility is dedicated to research on advanced acceleration, beam manipulation, and beam production. With a focus primarily in the development and testing of high-gradient wakefield-accelerator structures, the drive beamline RF photoinjector is capable of delivering high charge (100s of nC) 65 MeV electron bunch trains. We present the planned upgrades to the drive photoinjector aimed at increasing both beam brightness and stability, and report on the current progress for the first phase of the upgrade and upcoming RF gun installation.

Compact RF structures in the sub-terahertz regime are promising for structure wakefield acceleration due to their ability in achieving high gradients in a reduced footprint. We report on the design, fabrication, and testing of a metallic corrugated waveguide operating at 110 GHz, tailored to the 42 MeV electron beam parameters at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA). The experiment utilized the emittance exchange (EEX) beamline at AWA for longitudinal bunch shaping in two configurations: (1) a single short drive bunch to study high decelerating gradients, and (2) a two-bunch scheme featuring a triangularly shaped drive bunch followed by a long witness bunch to probe the wakefield and achieve a high transformer ratio. We will present the experimental design and results, which show good agreement with simulation predictions.