# US 2026/0089831 A1 · Low Energy Electron-Cooling System and Method

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- Number: US 2026/0089831 A1
- Document ID: US20260089831A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/889,916
- Filed: 2024-09-19
- Published: 2026-03-26
- Earliest claimed: 2024-09-19
- Assignees: Particle Beam Lasers, Inc.
- Inventors: Delbert Larson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260089831A1

## CPC

- H05H 15/00: Methods or devices for acceleration of charged particles not otherwise provided for {, e.g. wakefield accelerators}
- H05H 2242/10: Cooling arrangements
- H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS

## Abstract

An adiabatically expanded low energy electron-cooling system and method for increasing the phase space intensity and overall intensity of low energy particle beams, including a vacuum-chamber to allow electron beam and particle beam merging and separation, a cathode to generate the electron beam, a collector to collect the electron beam, magnetic field generation devices including solenoids and toroids to guide the electrons on their desired trajectories, ports to allow particles to enter and leave, neutralizing-background-ions to neutralize electron electric fields, electrodes to accelerate and decelerate the electron beam and an adiabatic-solenoid to enable electron beam expansion. By overlapping the electron and particle beams in an overlap-region, thermal energy is transferred from the particle beam to the electron beam, which allows an increase in the phase space density and overall density of the particle beams.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electron beam and particle beam system, comprising:
an electron beam;
a particle beam;
neutralizing-background-ions;
a vacuum-chamber to allow passage, merging and separation of said electron beam and said particle beam including an overlap-region wherein said electron beam and said particle beam are overlapped and including a first port to allow entrance of said particle beam into said vacuum-chamber and including a second port to allow exit of said particle beam out of said vacuum-chamber;
an electron supply device including a cathode to produce said electron beam;
an electron collector to collect said electron beam;
a first electrode located downstream from said cathode biased at a positive potential with respect to said cathode in order to accelerate said electron beam;
a second electrode located downstream from said first electrode and upstream from said overlap-region and biased at a less positive potential than said first electrode to provide a first end of a longitudinal electric potential trap for said neutralizing-background-ions;
a magnetic field production device to create magnetic fields to guide said electron beam along a desired path, merge and separate said electron beam and said particle beam, provide radial trapping for said neutralizing-background-ions, and including an adiabatic-solenoid to adiabatically increase the size of said electron beam;
a third electrode located downstream from said overlap-region; and
a fourth electrode located downstream from said third electrode and biased at a more positive potential than said third electrode to provide a second end of a longitudinal electric potential trap for said neutralizing-background-ions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first electrode, said second electrode, said third electrode, and said fourth electrode each include a grid conducting structure to allow passage of said electron beam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said fourth electrode is said electron collector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said magnetic field production device includes solenoids and toroids containing wire windings with electric current flowing through the wires.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said magnetic field production device includes permanent magnet material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said magnetic field production device includes solenoids and toroids containing wire windings with electric current flowing through the wires and permanent magnet material.

### Claim 7

A method of cooling a low energy particle beam with an electron beam while containing neutralizing-background-ions, comprising the steps of:
operating a vacuum-chamber to allow passage, merging and separation of said electron beam and said particle beam including an overlap-region wherein said electron beam and said particle beam are overlapped and where a first port allows entrance of said particle beam into said vacuum-chamber and where a second port allows exit of said particle beam out of said vacuum-chamber;
operating an electron supply device including a cathode to produce said electron beam;
operating an electron collector to collect said electron beam;
operating a first electrode located downstream from said cathode biased at a positive potential with respect to said cathode in order to accelerate said electron beam;
operating a second electrode located downstream from said first electrode and upstream from said overlap-region and biased at a less positive potential than said first electrode to provide a first end of a longitudinal electric potential trap for said neutralizing-background-ions;
operating a magnetic field production device to create magnetic fields to guide said electron beam along a desired path, merge and separate said electron beam and said particle beam, provide radial trapping for said neutralizing-background-ions and including an adiabatic-solenoid to adiabatically increase the size of said electron beam; and
operating a third electrode located downstream from said overlap-region;
operating a fourth electrode located downstream from said third electrode and biased at a more positive potential than said third electrode to provide a second end of a longitudinal electric potential trap for said neutralizing-background-ions.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said first electrode, said second electrode, said third electrode, and said fourth electrode each include a grid conducting structure to allow passage of said electron beam.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said fourth electrode is said electron collector.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said magnetic field production device includes solenoids and toroids containing wire windings with electric current flowing through the wires.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said magnetic field production device includes permanent magnet material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said magnetic field production device includes solenoids and toroids containing wire windings with electric current flowing through the wires and permanent magnet material.