TAU Systems to Establish TAU Labs, a New Laser Plasma Accelerator Application Center

TAU Systems, a US-based producer of compact laser-driven plasma accelerators and light sources, announced on Nov. 21, 2023 that it has signed a lease for a state-of-the-art building in Carlsbad, Calif., in which it will establish TAU Labs. The facility will be the first of the company’s light source applications and R&D centers, which will give users easier access to the latest particle and imaging systems. The first phase of construction is expected to be complete in 2024, according to a company press release.

The company is developing compact particle accelerators and specialized X-ray sources that combine the capabilities of large accelerators with a small footprint. This design is meant to provide easy and affordable beam-time access for any company or research institute, and, by doing so, the facility democratizes accelerator access, allowing for the progress of semiconductors, space-bound electronics, battery technology, biotechnology, and nuclear energy, among other industries, according to the press release.

TAU Systems' particle and light sources comprise the electromagnetic spectrum—from ultraviolet (UV) to gamma wavelengths—and will be installed in a 22,300-ft² building located at the Carlsbad Research Center. The lab space will house several laser-driven particle and light sources as well as broad technical expertise. Industrial users will have wide access to extreme UV and X-ray light sources as well as million electron volt electrons and other particle beams.

"Laser-driven particle accelerators are incredibly powerful tools that enable unprecedented advances in a wide range of fields, from next-generation semiconductors and batteries, and custom-designed medicines to the advancement of fundamental physics. However, getting beam time on the very few facilities available globally is stifling progress,” said Bjorn Manuel Hegelich, CEO, TAU Systems, in the press release. “TAU's application centers will democratize access to these exciting machines and expedite crucial technological breakthroughs."

"Our high-repetition-rate laser driver also makes TAU Labs an ideal location to test the resistance to space radiation of satellite electronics. It will help make space systems more robust and prolong the life of satellites," said Jerome Paye, chief operating officer, TAU Systems, in the press release.

Source: TAU Systems