Noninvasive 3D Field Mapping of Complex Static Electric Fields

Many upcoming experiments in antimatter research require low-energy antiproton beams. With a kinetic energy in the order of 100 keV, the standard magnetic components to control and focus the beams become less effective. Therefore, electrostatic components are being developed and installed in transfe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2019-06, Vol.122 (24), p.244801-244801, Article 244801
Main Authors: Kainz, Andreas, Keplinger, Franz, Hortschitz, Wilfried, Kahr, Matthias, Steiner, Harald, Stifter, Michael, Hunt, James R, Resta-Lopez, Javier, Rodin, Volodymyr, Welsch, Carsten P, Borburgh, Jan, Fraser, Matthew Alexander, Bartmann, Wolfgang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antimatter
Antiparticles
Antiprotons
Atmospheric electricity
Curvature
Electric fields
Field strength
Kinetic energy
Mapping
Particle beams
Quadrupoles
Spatial resolution
Static electricity
Tolerances
Transfer lines
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Summary:Many upcoming experiments in antimatter research require low-energy antiproton beams. With a kinetic energy in the order of 100 keV, the standard magnetic components to control and focus the beams become less effective. Therefore, electrostatic components are being developed and installed in transfer lines and storage rings. However, there is no equipment available to precisely map and check the electric field generated by these elements. Instead, one has to trust in simulations and, therefore, depend on tight fabrication tolerances. Here we present, for the first time, a noninvasive way to experimentally probe the electrostatic field in a 3D volume with a microsensor. Using the example of an electrostatic quadrupole focusing component, we find excellent agreement between a simulated and real field. Furthermore, it is shown that the spatial resolution of the probe is limited by the electric field curvature which is almost zero for the quadrupole. With a sensor resolution of 61  V/m/sqrt[Hz], the field deviation due to a noncompliance with the tolerances can be resolved. We anticipate that this compact and practical field strength probe will be relevant also for other scientific and technological disciplines such as atmospheric electricity or safeguarding near power infrastructure.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.244801