SBIR: Pulsed High-power Laser Accelerators to Study radiation Hardening (PHLASH)

OUSD (R&E) critical technology area(s): Microelectronics

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective: Demonstrate a prototype scalable laser driver for electron beam generation and design a 100-GeV system to fit within a 250 m3 footprint.

Description: Microelectronic systems designed to operate in space must be tested to ensure they can function reliably in a high radiation environment [3]. Currently such tests are done at large, existing heavy-ion accelerator facilities that cannot meet demand [2]. While heavy ions represent the current gold-standard for single-event effect (SEE) testing [4], a new methodology using small packets of high-energy electrons interacting in a manner that makes them an equivalent surrogate for heavy ions is showing promise. Key to this technology is the need to attain very high electron beam energies at the device under test (DUT) while keeping the electron packet extremely small, ≤ 1µm in the transverse dimension and sub-ps in the longitudinal dimension.

High-energy electron accelerators, such as the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and CERN Linear Electron Accelerator for Research (CLEAR), could achieve these electron energies, but currently occupy kilometer-scale facilities. For electron accelerators to be viable solutions for radiation testing, they must be designed into compact (<250 m3) systems that could be integrated into a semiconductor fabrication facility and cost a fraction of a classical accelerator-based system.

Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA), or laser plasma acceleration (LPA), with its ability to generate high-energy packets of electrons over an acceleration distance 1000-times less than a classical RF-based accelerator system [1], provides a path to this goal. However, the necessary high-pulse-power laser drivers and plasma targets are not available, and the physics of electron beam optimization at such high energies is not fully understood.

This solicitation aims to advance the current state of the art to the commercial sector where it can be further vetted and exploited. To this end, the specific goal is to design and build a prototype laser driver to generate 50-MeV electron beam energies at a pulse repetition rate greater-than 100Hz that can be scaled to 100 GeV and 1 kHz, respectively, to meet the needs of future SEE systems.

Phase I

This topic solicits Direct to Phase II (DP2) proposals only. Proposers must provide data demonstrating that the following has been achieved outside of the SBIR program: (1) Preliminary design, with schematics, of a compact 100MeV, >100Hz repetition rate, LWFA system showing all required components and their specifications; and (2) simulated and/or experimental data that support the feasibility of a compact multi-GeV LPA system.

Phase II

DARPA is interested in technological advances that will support investment into compact multi-GeV LPA radiation testing systems. The key elements supporting such a system are the compact laser driver that generates high-energy electrons by exciting a gas target and the connecting chambers needed to focus the electron beam into small (<1 µm) spots at the surface of the DUT.

The design study of the objective system must address all aspects of the physics of scaling, including:

• How high energies will affect the size of the focusing optics, and how these will be maintained within the size limits (<250m3) of the final system
• How the gas target will react to the increased energies and 1-kHz repetition rates, and how adverse reactions will be mitigated

In designing the proposed prototype laser driver, an analysis of how the product will scale to higher energies and repetition rates, while maintaining a size compatible with the objective test system, must be included along with an analysis of how to achieve optimal beam acceleration performance given the above analysis of the objective system. Rather than building an optimal prototype for 50-MeV electron beam energies at > 100 Hz in a smaller test system, the proposed prototype should be designed and built in a manner that will permit scalability to higher energies and repetition rates.

The interim and end-phase goals for the base period are as follows. Responders to this topic are strongly encouraged to propose additional interim assessments to further demonstrate progress toward the goals specified below.

Fixed payable milestones for this 24-month program should include:

• Month 1: Report detailing material acquisition plan and detailed technical design.
• Month 3: Quarterly report describing progress of technical work and status of all material acquisitions including supply-chain issues.
• Month 6: Quarterly report describing progress of technical work.
• Month 9: Quarterly report describing progress of technical work and plan for prototype demonstration.
• Month 12: Interim report describing performance of prototype system and current state of commercialization plan.
• Month 15: Quarterly report describing progress of technical work and plan for addressing any failings of the prototype system.
• Month 18: Quarterly report describing progress of technical work and commercialization plan.
• Month 21: Quarterly report describing progress of technical work and final design review of prototype laser accelerator before final demonstration.
• Month 23: Demonstration of a prototype, scalable laser plasma accelerator capable of 50 MeV beam energies, pulse repetition rates > 100 Hz, and a complete design and work plan to scale that system up to 100 GeV at 1 kHz.
• Month 24: Final Report summarizing design, work undertaken, results, and comparison with alternative state-of-the-art systems.

Phase III dual use applications

Given the proliferation of space-based microelectronics in telecommunication, weather, and other satellites, as well as in high-altitude vehicles, such as the International Space Station, this SBIR has potential applicability across DoD and commercial entities. These systems require high degrees of reliability given the cost of failure and difficulty of repair. Achieving more efficient, reliable radiation testing mechanisms will allow components to be placed in service more rapidly, thus ensuring availability of the latest technology.

References

1. C. Aniculaesei et al., “High-charge 10 GeV electron acceleration in a 10 cm nanoparticle-assisted hybrid wakefield accelerator,” arXiv.org, Jul. 23, 2022 https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.11492v3.
2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2018. Testing at the Speed of Light: The State of U.S. Electronic Parts Space Radiation Testing Infrastructure. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24993.
3. R.A. Reed et al., “Single-event effects ground testing and on-orbit rate prediction methods: The past, present, and future,” IEEE Trans. on Nuclear Science 50(3), June 2003.
4. A. Rusek, “NASA Space Radiation Laboratory,” Domestic High-Energy Single-Event Effects (HiSEE) Testing Users Meeting, 13 April 2021.

Keywords

High-energy accelerators, Laser Wavefront Accelerators, Laser Plasma Accelerators, Radiation Testing, Electron accelerator

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