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C. Benedetti

Publications and source records attributed to C. Benedetti.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Enhancing 10 TeV $\gamma\gamma$-collider luminosity through scattering-laser wavelength selection in the presence of prolific electron-positron pair production

A $\gamma\gamma$-collider capable of reaching the 10 TeV parton-center-of-momentum (pCM) frontier of particle physics may enable the study of phenomena beyond the Standard Model. Based on compact linear wakefield accelerator technology, such a collider could be realized by Compton scattering multi-TeV lepton beams off moderate-intensity laser pulses close to the collider interaction point, producing the required $\gamma$-photons. It is shown that, for a wide range of scattering-laser wavelengths, $\gamma\gamma$-collisions at the interaction point can meet the luminosity requirements for novel particle physics studies, even in the presence of the prolific electron-positron pair production that accompanies the interaction of the scattering laser with the multi-TeV lepton beam. Notably, this pair production imposes a natural limit on the maximum achievable photon luminosity. Accounting for this limit and for the angular divergence of the Compton photons yields an enhanced $\gamma\gamma$-collider luminosity for 250 nm and 1.25 nm scattering lasers. Moreover, the secondary pairs can themselves be exploited in physics studies, since their luminosity is high enough to produce heavy particles at rates needed for discoveries well beyond the reach of existing colliders.

physics.acc-ph

Report on the Advanced Linear Collider Study Group (ALEGRO) Workshop 2026

The 7th ALEGRO workshop, hosted by INFN Frascati National Laboratories from 3rd to 5th March 2026, brought together the international Advanced Novel Accelerators (ANA) community to discuss the role of advanced wakefield accelerators (AWA) in particle and high-energy physics. Organized under the ICFA-ANA panel, the workshop highlighted recent progress in plasma- and structure-based wakefield acceleration and strengthened international collaboration toward future energy-frontier colliders. A major focus was the ongoing 10 TeV linear collider design study, launched in 2025 following the US P5 recommendations. A dedicated session covered accelerator concepts, enabling technologies, and the associated physics case, while recognizing that future priorities will depend on the outcome of the European Strategy for Particle Physics Update. The workshop also reviewed nearer-term applications of advanced accelerators, including fixed-target experiments, injectors for future colliders and light sources, plasma-based Higgs factory concepts, and proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. Beyond high-energy physics, sessions covered free-electron lasers, synchrotron light sources, and strong-field QED. Recent demonstrations of FEL lasing with plasma-accelerated electron beams highlighted significant progress in beam quality and accelerator performance. Operational challenges for reliable user facilities, including high-availability laser and electron-beam systems, were discussed alongside the growing role of artificial intelligence and machine learning for accelerator optimization and control. This report summarizes the workshop discussions and conclusions from the chairs, together with short contributions from the presenters, providing an overview of the current status and future prospects of advanced wakefield accelerators.

physics.acc-ph

Revealing Laser and Electron Beam Evolution in 10-GeV-class Laser-Plasma Accelerators

Guiding relativistically intense laser pulses in low-density plasmas enables extended acceleration lengths in laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs), allowing for the production of multi-GeV electron beams. Quantitative interpretation of such experiments is often limited by substantial uncertainties in key plasma parameters, particularly the transverse density profile of hydrodynamic optically field-ionized channels. Distinct plasma density distributions can produce similar terminal beam energies, complicating efforts to infer the underlying interaction physics from measurements at the accelerator exit alone. By combining longitudinally resolved electron beam diagnostics with independent measurements of laser spectral evolution in a 10 GeV LPA, we establish a multi-observable constraint on plasma density profiles. Once plasma downramps are taken into account, excellent agreement is observed with simulation over the entire accelerator length for two plasma channel sizes. The validated simulations indicate that extending the accelerator length to 65 cm would increase the electron beam energy to 15 GeV. They also point the way to achieving $\sim$20 GeV electron beams in $\sim$70 cm via linear matching using the same 24 J laser energy.

physics.acc-ph

Bayesian Optimization of Laser-Wakefield Acceleration via Spectral Pulse Shaping

In this paper, we investigate the effect of spectral pulse shaping of the laser driver on the performance of channel-guided, laser-plasma accelerators. The study was carried out with the assistance of Bayesian optimization using particle-in-cell simulations. We used a realistic plasma profile based on a novel optical-field-ionized channel technique with ionization injection and low on-axis plasma densities to maximize the energy gain of the electron bunch trailing the laser. Spectral shaping allows us to modify the temporal profile of the laser driver while keeping the laser energy constant, affecting the acceleration and injection processes. Given the complexity and breadth of the parameter space in question, we used numerical optimization to identify high performers. In particular, we found laser profiles with additional spectral content that, when used with optimal plasma channel parameters, result in charge content an order of magnitude higher than the baseline Gaussian case while also increasing the mean energy of the electron bunch.

physics.plasm-ph

Noisy dynamics of confined quantum walks on a chip

Quantum walks represent an excellent testbed for investigating the interplay between unitary coherent and incoherent dissipative processes. Thanks to photonic quantum interferometers of considerable size, experimental studies could be performed, devoted to investigating the consequences of different sorts of realistic noise in these systems. In this work we employ a 20x20 on-chip multimode interferometer to introduce another key aspect in the problem: the presence of edges in the walker lattice, enforcing a confined evolution. We show how noise can disrupt translational symmetry and reshape interference patterns. The non trivial probability distributions obtained along the temporal evolution of the system demonstrate how speed up effects, localization and coherent oscillations are pillar concepts to be fully characterized and understood when applied in realistic quantum dynamics.

quant-ph

Longitudinal tapering in meter-scale gas jets for increased efficiency of laser plasma accelerators

Modern laser plasma accelerators (LPAs) often require plasma waveguides tens of cm long to propagate a high-intensity drive laser pulse. Tapering the longitudinal gas density profile in 10 cm scale gas jets could allow for single stage laser plasma acceleration well beyond 10 GeV with current petawatt-class laser systems. Via simulation and interferometry measurements, we show density control by longitudinally adjusting the throat width and jet angle. Density profiles appropriate for tapering were calculated analytically and via particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, and were matched experimentally. These simulations show that tapering can increase electron beam energy using 19 J laser energy from ~9 GeV to >12 GeV in a 30 cm plasma, and the accelerated charge by an order of magnitude. This paper was published in Review of Scientific Instruments on April 11, 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0250698

physics.acc-ph

Report on the Advanced Linear Collider Study Group (ALEGRO) Workshop 2024

The workshop focused on the application of ANAs to particle physics keeping in mind the ultimate goal of a collider at the energy frontier (10\,TeV, e$^+$/e$^-$, e$^-$/e$^-$, or $\gamma\gamma$). The development of ANAs is conducted at universities and national laboratories worldwide. The community is thematically broad and diverse, in particular since lasers suitable for ANA research (multi-hundred-terawatt peak power, a few tens of femtosecond-long pulses) and acceleration of electrons to hundreds of mega electron volts to multi giga electron volts became commercially available. The community spans several continents (Europe, America, Asia), including more than 62 laboratories in more than 20 countries. It is among the missions of the ICFA-ANA panel to feature the amazing progress made with ANAs, to provide international coordination and to foster international collaborations towards a future HEP collider. The scope of this edition of the workshop was to discuss the recent progress and necessary steps towards realizing a linear collider for particle physics based on novel-accelerator technologies (laser or beam driven in plasma or structures). Updates on the relevant aspects of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP) Roadmap Process as well as of the P5 (in the US) were presented, and ample time was dedicated to discussions. The major outcome of the workshop is the decision for ALEGRO to coordinate efforts in Europe, in the US, and in Asia towards a pre-CDR for an ANA-based, 10\,TeV CM collider. This goal of this coordination is to lead to a funding proposal to be submitted to both EU and EU/US funding agencies. This document presents a summary of the workshop, as seen by the co-chairs, as well as short 'one-pagers' written by the presenters at the workshop.

physics.acc-ph

Matched Guiding and Controlled Injection in Dark-Current-Free, 10-GeV-Class, Channel-Guided Laser Plasma Accelerators

We measure the high intensity laser propagation throughout meter-scale, channel-guided LPAs by adjusting the length of the plasma channel on a shot-by-shot basis, showing high quality guiding of 500 TW laser pulses over 30 cm in a hydrogen plasma of density $n_0 \approx 1 \times 10^{17} \, \mathrm{cm^{-3}}$. We observed transverse energy transport of higher-order modes in the first $\approx 12 \, \mathrm{cm}$ of the plasma channel, followed by quasi-matched propagation, and the gradual, dark-current-free depletion of laser energy to the wakefield. We quantify the laser-to-wake transfer efficiency limitations of currently available PW-class laser systems, and demonstrate via simulation how control over the laser mode can significantly improve accelerated beam parameters. Using just 21.3 J of laser energy, and triggering localized electron injection into the accelerator, we observed electron bunches with single, quasimonoenergetic peaks, relative energy spreads as low as 3 % and energy up to 9.2 GeV with charge extending beyond 10 GeV.

physics.plasm-ph

A high-intensity laser-based positron source

Plasma based acceleration is considered a promising concept for the next generation of linear electron-positron colliders. Despite the great progress achieved over last twenty years in laser technology, laser and beam driven particle acceleration, and special target availability, positron acceleration remains significantly underdeveloped if compared to electron acceleration. This is due to both the specifics of the plasma-based acceleration, and the lack of adequate positron sources tailored for the subsequent plasma based acceleration. Here a positron source based on the collision of a high energy electron beam with a high intensity laser pulse is proposed. The source relies on the subsequent multi-photon Compton and Breit-Wheeleer processes to generate an electron-positron pair out of a high energy photon emitted by an electron. Due to the strong dependence of the Breit-Wheeler process rate on photon energy and field strength, positrons are created with low divergence in a small volume around the peak of the laser pulse. The resulting low emittance in the submicron range potentially makes such positron source interesting for collider applications.

physics.plasm-ph

Strong-Field QED Experiments using the BELLA PW Laser Dual Beamlines

The Petawatt (PW) laser facility of the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center has recently commissioned its second laser pulse transport line. This new beamline can be operated in parallel with the first beamline and enables strong-field quantum electrodynamics (SF-QED) experiments at BELLA. In this paper, we present an overview of the upgraded BELLA PW facility with a SF-QED experimental layout in which intense laser pulses collide with GeV-class laser-wakefield-accelerated electron beams. We present simulation results showing that experiments will allow the study of laser-particle interactions from the classical to the SF-QED regime with a nonlinear quantum parameter of up to $\chi\sim$2. In addition, we show that experiments will enable the study and production of GeV-class, mrad-divergence positron beams via the Breit-Wheeler process.

physics.acc-ph

Self-stabilizing positron acceleration in a plasma column

Plasma accelerators sustain extreme field gradients, and potentially enable future compact linear colliders. Although tremendous progress has been achieved in accelerating electron beams in a plasma accelerator, positron acceleration with collider-relevant parameters is challenging. A recently proposed positron acceleration scheme relying on the wake generated by an electron drive beam in a plasma column has been shown to be able to accelerate positron witness beams with low emittance and low energy spread. However, since this scheme relies on cylindrical symmetry, it is possibly prone to transverse instabilities that could lead, ultimately, to beam break-up. In this article, we show that the witness beam itself is subject to various damping mechanisms and, therefore, this positron acceleration scheme is inherently stable towards misalignment of the drive and witness beams. This enables stable, high-quality plasma-based positron acceleration.

physics.acc-ph

Whitepaper submitted to Snowmass21: Advanced accelerator linear collider demonstration facility at intermediate energy

It is widely accepted that the next lepton collider beyond a Higgs factory would require center-of-mass energy of the order of up to 15 TeV. Since, given reasonable space and cost restrictions, conventional accelerator technology reaches its limits near this energy, high-gradient advanced acceleration concepts are attractive. Advanced and novel accelerators (ANAs) are leading candidates due to their ability to produce acceleration gradients on the order of 1--100~GV/m, leading to compact acceleration structures. Over the last 10-15 years significant progress has been achieved in accelerating electron beams by ANAs. For example, the demonstration of several-GeV electron beams from laser-powered capillary discharge waveguides, as well as the proof-of-principle coupling of two accelerating structures powered by different laser pulses, has increased interest in ANAs as a viable technology to be considered for a compact, TeV-class, lepton linear collider. However, intermediate facilities are required to test the technology and demonstrate key subsystems. A 20-100 GeV center-of-mass energy ANA-based lepton collider can be a possible candidate for an intermediate facility. Apart from being a test beam facility for accelerator and detector studies, this collider will provide opportunities to study muon and proton beam acceleration, investigate charged particle interactions with extreme electromagnetic fields (relevant for beam delivery system designs and to study the physics at the interaction point), as well as precision Quantum Chromodynamics and Beyond the Standard Model physics measurements. Possible applications of this collider include the studies of $\gamma\gamma$ and $e$-ion collider designs.

physics.acc-ph

Beam dynamics challenges in linear colliders based on laser-plasma accelerators

In this paper we discuss design considerations and beam dynamics challenges associated with laser-driven plasma-based accelerators as applied to multi-TeV-scale linear colliders. Plasma accelerators provide ultra-high gradients and ultra-short bunches, offering the potential for compact linacs and reduced power requirements. We show that stable, efficient acceleration with beam quality preservation is possible in the nonlinear bubble regime of laser-plasma accelerators using beam shaping. Ion motion, naturally occuring for dense beams (i.e., low emittance and high energy) severely damps transverse beam instabilities. Coulomb scattering by the background ions is considered and it is shown that the strong focusing in the plasma strongly suppresses scattering-induced emittance growth. Betatron radiation emission from the transverse motion of the beam in the plasma will result in beam power loss and energy spread growth; however for sub-100 nm emittances, the beam power loss and energy spread growth will be sub-percent for multi-TeV-class plasma linacs.

physics.acc-ph

Quantum spatial search in two-dimensional waveguide arrays

Continuous-time quantum walks (CTQW) have shown the capability to perform efficiently the spatial search of a marked site on many kinds of graphs. However, most of such graphs are hard to realize in an experimental setting. Here we study CTQW spatial search on a planar triangular lattice by means of both numerical simulations and experiments. The experiments are performed using three-dimensional waveguide arrays fabricated by femtosecond laser pulses, illuminated by coherent light. We show that the retrieval of the marked site by the quantum walker is accomplished with higher probability than the classical counterpart, in a convenient time window placed early in the evolution.

quant-ph

As long as you talk about me: The importance of family firm brands and the contingent role of family-firm identity

This study explores the role of external audiences in determining the importance of family firm brands and the relationship with firm performance. Drawing on text mining and social network analysis techniques, and considering the brand prevalence, diversity, and connectivity dimensions, we use the semantic brand score to measure the importance the media give to family firm brands. The analysis of a sample of 52,555 news articles published in 2017 about 63 Italian entrepreneurial families reveals that brand importance is positively associated with family firm revenues, and this relationship is stronger when there is identity match between the family and the firm. This study advances current literature by offering a rich and multifaceted perspective on how external audiences perceptions of the brand shape family firm performance.

econ.GN

Proceedings of the Advanced Accelerator Concepts Seminar Series 2020

The Advanced Accelerator Concepts (AAC) Seminar Series 2020 (https://aacseminarseries.lbl.gov/), organized and hosted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, consisted of nine weekly sessions, each one dedicated to a particular topic of interest within the framework of advanced accelerator concepts research. The Seminar Series was a fully-remote event that provided a forum for the advanced accelerator community. The AAC Seminar Series was held in lieu of the AAC 2020 Workshop (https://aac2020.lbl.gov/), originally planned for June 2020 and canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception in 1982, the biennial AAC Workshop has become the principal US and international meeting for advanced particle accelerator research and development.

physics.acc-ph

Radial Density Profile and Stability of Capillary Discharge Plasma Waveguides of Lengths up to 40 Centimeters

We measured the parameter reproducibility and radial electron density profile of capillary discharge waveguides with diameters of 650 um to 2 mm and lengths of 9 to 40 cm. To our knowledge, 40 cm is the longest discharge capillary plasma waveguide to date. This length is important for >= 10 GeV electron energy gain in a single laser driven plasma wakefield acceleration (LPA) stage. Evaluation of waveguide parameter variations showed that their focusing strength was stable and reproducible to <0.2% and their average on-axis plasma electron density to <1%. These variations explain only a small fraction of LPA electron bunch variations observed in experiments to date. Measurements of laser pulse centroid oscillations revealed that the radial channel profile rises faster than parabolic and are in excellent agreement with magneto-hydro-dynamic simulation results. We show that the effects of non-parabolic contributions on Gaussian pulse propagation were negligible when the pulse was approximately matched to the channel. However, they affected pulse propagation for a non-matched configuration in which the waveguide was used as a plasma telescope to change the focused laser pulse spot size.

physics.plasm-ph