Ricerc@Sapienza

In the field of the particle accelerators is growing the interest in the development of compact accelerator machines that have to also be able to exceed the current limits of the conventional accelerator structures. In this context, the research activity is leading towards plasma-based devices able to produce accelerating gradients in the GV/m scale, concerning the MV/m scale of the RF-based accelerators. Such plasma-based structures can be also used to focus charged particle beams with large energies. For these reasons, these new compact devices are currently replacing conventional accelerators and standard focusing devices. In this regard, recently, several proofs of principle experiments have been performed in focusing electron beams through active plasma lenses, consisting of gas-filled capillaries in which the plasma is produced by an electrical discharge.