Generation and characterization of magnetized electron beam from a DC high voltage photogun for electron beam cooling application
One of the most challenging requirements for the proposed Electron-Ion Collider is the strong cooling of the proton beam, which is key to achieving the collider’s desired luminosity of order 10 33 -10 34 cm -2 s -1 . Magnetized bunched-beam electron cooling could be a means to achieve the required high luminosity, where strong cooling is accomplished inside a cooling solenoid where the ions co-propagate with an electron beam generated from a source immersed in a magnetic field. To increase the cooling efficiency, a bunched electron beam with high bunch charge and high repetition rate is required. This work describes the production and characterization of magnetized electron beam using a compact 300 kV DC high voltage photogun and bi-alkali antimonide photocathode. Beam magnetization was studied using a diagnostic beamline that includes viewer screens for measuring the shearing angle of the electron beamlet passing through a narrow upstream slit. Simulations and corresponding measurements of beam magnetization are presented as a function of laser spot size and magnetic field strength. Correlated beam emittance with magnetic field (0–0.15 T) at the photocathode was measured for various laser spot sizes. Measurements of photocathode lifetime were carried out at different magnetized electron beam currents up to 28 mA, and bunch charge up to 0.7 nC (not simultaneously).