DE-FOA-0003620.pdf

High Energy Physics (HEP)

FY2026 Research Opportunities in Accelerator Stewardship and Accelerator Development

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Number:

DE-FOA-0003620

NOFO Type: Initial Assistance Listings: 81.049

NOFO Issue Date: March 12, 2026 Submission Deadline for Pre-Applications:

(Applies to all Tracks)

April 9, 2026 at 5 PM Eastern Time A Pre-Application is required.

Pre-Application Response Date: April 23. 2026 Submission Deadline for Applications: May 21, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time Submission Deadline for Letters of Intent:

(Applies to FY2027 CARTs only)

June 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Table of Contents

I. BASIC INFORMATION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

FUNDING DETAILS

KEY FACTS

KEY DATES

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR / OFFICE HOURS

RECOMMENDATION

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. COST SHARING AND INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENTS

C. ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS

D. LIMITATIONS ON SUBMISSIONS

III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. PURPOSE

B. PROGRAM GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND PRIORITIES

C. AWARD CONTRIBUTION TO GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

D. PERFORMANCE GOALS

F. PROGRAM UNALLOWABLE COSTS

G. CITATIONS TO STATUTE AND REGULATIONS

H. PROGRAM HISTORY

I. OTHER INFORMATION

IV. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

A. PRELIMINARY SUBMISSIONS

B. APPLICATION

C. COMPONENT PIECES OF THE APPLICATION

D. INFORMATION THAT MUST BE SUBMITTED AFTER APPLICATION BUT

BEFORE AWARD

V. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

A. ADDRESS TO REQUEST APPLICATION PACKAGE

B. UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER (UEI) AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

(SAM.GOV)

C. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

D. SUBMISSION DATES AND TIMES

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. RESPONSIVENESS REVIEW

B. REVIEW CRITERIA

C. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

VII. AWARD NOTICES

A. TYPE OF AWARD INSTRUMENT

B. ANTICIPATED TIMELINE FOR NOTICE OF SELECTION FOR AWARD

NEGOTIATION

VIII. POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

A. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

B. REPORTING

C. REPORTING OF MATTERS RELATED TO RECIPIENT INTEGRITY AND

PERFORMANCE (DECEMBER 2015)

D. INTERIM CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

IX. OTHER INFORMATION

A. CHECKLIST FOR AVOIDING COMMON ERRORS

B. HOW-TO GUIDES

C. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

D. REFERENCE MATERIAL

I. Basic Information

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science (SC)

Executive Summary

The DOE SC program in High Energy Physics (HEP) hereby announces its interest in applications to conduct cross-cutting use-inspired basic research and development (R&D) to advance accelerator science and technology (AS&T) and domestic supplier development that supports SC’s activities in physical sciences research and which is of broader benefit to other U.S. government agencies and industry. Please note that this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for cross-cutting R&D and domestic supplier development and that program-specific AS&T R&D is supported though NOFOs issued by each SC program.

Funding Details

Expected total available funding $15,000,000 Expected number of awards 10 to 15 Expected dollar amount of individual awards

$50,000 to $3,000,000

Expected award project period 1 to 5 years

Key Facts

NOFO Title FY2026 Research Opportunities in Accelerator Stewardship and

Accelerator Development NOFO Number DE-FOA-0003620 Announcement Type Initial Assistance Listing 81.049 Statutory Authority The programmatic authorizing statute is:

Section 646 of Public Law 95-91, U.S. Department of Energy Organization Act Section 901, et seq. of Public Law 109-58, Energy Policy Act of Section 10109 of Public Law 117-167, CHIPS and Science Act of

Governing Regulations

Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, codified at 2 CFR 200 U.S. Department of Energy Financial Assistance Rules, codified at

2 CFR 910

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science Financial Assistance

Program Rule, codified at 10 CFR 605

Key Dates

Key dates are printed on the cover of this NOFO.

Agency Contact Information

Grants.gov Customer Support

800-518-4726 (toll-free) support@Grants.gov

PAMS

Customer Support

855-818-1846 (toll-free) 301-903-9610 sc.pams-helpdesk@science.doe.gov

Technical/Scientific Program Contact

Dr. Eric R. Colby Eric.Colby@science.doe.gov, (301)-722-2148

Informational Webinar / Office Hours

SC plans to hold an informational webinar about this NOFO on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 12 noon. Registration instructions and other details will be posted at https://science-doe.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Pvl3lKItTbC4XN5a6Lpn4w#/registration.

Recommendation

SC encourages you to register in all systems as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to submit letters of intent (LOIs), pre-applications, and applications well before the deadline.

mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:sc.pams-helpdesk@science.doe.gov mailto:Eric.Colby@science.doe.gov https://science-doe.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Pvl3lKItTbC4XN5a6Lpn4w#/registration https://science-doe.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_Pvl3lKItTbC4XN5a6Lpn4w#/registration

II. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants

All types of domestic applicants are eligible to apply, except nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.

In accordance with 2 CFR 910.126, Competition, eligibility for award is restricted to:

Track 1: Accelerator Stewardship Topical Areas

Applications for activities in Track 1: Accelerator Stewardship Topical Areas will be accepted from all responsible domestic organizations capable of meeting the objectives of this NOFO.

Track 2: Collaborative Accelerator Research Teams (CARTs) for Long-Term Generic Accelerator Research

Applications for terminal renewal awards under Track 2: Collaborative Accelerator Research Teams (CARTs) for Long-Term Generic Accelerator Research are restricted to Track 2 PIs organizations with a current award that ends before September 30, 2026. Eligibility is limited in Track 2 to current PIs at organizations with awards expiring within FY 2026 while Track 2 changes from a single-PI/single-institution funding model to a multi-PI/multi-institution funding model. The one-year-long terminal renewal award is offered to allow a smooth transition to other funding sources (which might include participating in a multi-PI/multi-institution award).

Track 4b: Accelerator Technology Partnerships

Eligibility is limited in Track 4b to domestic for-profit organizations, as the intent of this Track is to develop U.S. companies capable of producing particle accelerator components for DOE and commercial purposes.

Track 3 and Track 4a:

Track 3 (Accelerator Stewardship Test Facility Program) and Track 4a (Accelerator- Technology Sector Business Plans) are no longer accepting applications.

Federally affiliated1 entities must adhere to the eligibility standards below:

1. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories

DOE/NNSA National Laboratories are eligible to submit applications under this NOFO and may be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. If recommended for funding as a lead applicant, funding will be provided through the DOE Field-Work Proposal System and work will be conducted under the laboratory’s contract with DOE. No administrative provisions of this NOFO will apply to the laboratory or any laboratory subcontractor. If recommended for funding as a proposed subrecipient, the value of the proposed subaward will be removed from the prime applicant’s award and will be provided to the laboratory through the DOE Field-Work Proposal System and work will be conducted under the laboratory’s contract with DOE. Additional instructions for securing authorization from the cognizant Contracting Officer are found in Section IX of this NOFO.

2. Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs

Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are eligible to submit applications under this NOFO and may be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. If recommended for funding as a lead applicant, funding will be provided through an interagency agreement to the FFRDC’s sponsoring Federal Agency. If recommended for funding as a proposed subrecipient, the value of the proposed subaward may be removed from the prime applicant’s award and may be provided through an Inter-Agency Award to the FFRDC’s sponsoring Federal Agency. Additional instructions for securing authorization from the cognizant Contracting Officer are found in Section IX of this NOFO.

3. Other Federal Agencies

Other Federal Agencies are eligible to submit applications (either as a lead organization or as a team member in a multi-institutional team) under this NOFO and may be proposed as subrecipients under another organization’s application. If recommended for funding as a lead applicant or a team member, funding will be provided through an interagency agreement. If recommended for funding as a proposed subrecipient, the value of the proposed subaward may be removed from the prime applicant’s award and may be provided through an interagency agreement. Additional instructions for providing statutory authorization are found in Section IX of this NOFO.

1 Institutions that are not DOE/NNSA National Laboratories, a non-DOE/NNSA FFRDC, or another Federal agency are not Federally affiliated, even if they receive Federal funds or perform work under a Federal award or contract.

Notes for applicants of all types:

• Individual applicants are unlikely to possess the skills, abilities, and resources to successfully accomplish the objectives of this NOFO. Individual applicants are encouraged to address this concern in their applications and to demonstrate how they will accomplish the objectives of this NOFO.

• Non-domestic applicants are advised that successful applications from non-domestic applicants include a detailed demonstration of how the applicant possesses skills, resources, and abilities that do not exist among potential domestic applicants.

This NOFO does not support an applicant’s commercial activity. This NOFO seeks to support basic research to advance understanding rather than to address commercial opportunities. Applications that propose research related to current commercial activity or current customer needs may be declined without merit review. All for-profit applicants must include a description, not to exceed 200 words of how their proposed work will advance scientific understanding of a basic and fundamental nature as an appendix to the Project Narrative.

Applications that are submitted by applicants that have not submitted a required pre-application may be declined without further review.

Applicants may propose non-domestic entities as subrecipients in their applications.

Applicants are advised that successful applications that propose non-domestic entities as subrecipients include a detailed demonstration of how the proposed non-domestic subrecipients possess skills, resources, and abilities that do not exist among potential domestic subrecipients.

B. Cost Sharing and Institutional Commitments

Demonstrations of institutional or third-party commitment to the proposed activity, as described in Section IV are strongly encouraged for all applications, and should be described in the project narrative.

Examples of non-Federal contributions that may be considered as demonstrating institutional or third-party commitment include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The provision of space, facilities, equipment, or resources at no or reduced charge;

• The provision of release time for faculty;

• The provision of scholarship support for students; or

• The waiver of facilities and administrative costs, in whole or in part.

• Third party contributions (e.g., state, private entities, etc.)

The institutional commitment is not to be documented on the application’s budget:

institutional commitments are neither a formal nor a voluntary committed cost sharing, but it must be described in the project narrative.

Cost sharing and Institutional commitments may not include the following:

• Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the time considered in the award;

• Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity; or

• Other Federal awards.

Additionally, cost sharing, may be required under a class patent waiver, if applicable, as discussed in Section IX.

Cost sharing is not required of DOE/NNSA National Laboratories, other Federal agencies, another Federal agency’s FFRDC, or their subcontractors at any tier. DOE/NNSA National Laboratories, other Federal agencies, and another Federal agency’s FFRDC may impose cost-sharing requirements on their contractors subject to their policies and procedures.

C. Eligible Individuals

Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator (PI) are invited to work with their organizations to develop an application.

D. Limitations on Submissions

Applicant institutions are limited to no more than two (2) pre-applications and two (2) applications for each PI at the applicant institution.

The PI on a pre-application or application may also be listed as a senior or key personnel, including in any role on a proposed subaward, on an unlimited number of separate submissions. Pre-applications in excess of the limited number of submissions may be discouraged. Applications in excess of the limited number of submissions may be declined without review.

DOE will consider the latest received submissions to be the institution’s intended submissions.

III. Program Description

A. Purpose

The DOE SC program in High Energy Physics (HEP) hereby announces its interest in applications to conduct cross-cutting use-inspired basic research and development (R&D) to advance accelerator science and technology (AS&T) and domestic supplier development that supports SC’s activities in physical sciences research and is of broader benefit to other U.S. government agencies and industry. Please note that this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is for cross-cutting R&D and domestic supplier development and that program-specific AS&T R&D is supported through NOFOs issued by each SC program.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The following program description is offered to provide more in-depth information on the scientific and technical areas of interest to the Accelerator Stewardship and Accelerator Development subprograms within HEP. These two subprograms are often referred to below as simply “Accelerator Stewardship”.

Accelerator Stewardship’s mission is to support cross-cutting AS&T R&D, use-inspired technology development of relevance to many fields, domestic accelerator technology supplier development, and dissemination of accelerator knowledge and training to the broad community of accelerator users and providers. (More information is available at the website: https://science.osti.gov/ARDAP). In the interest of fostering a rich ecosystem of R&D performers and domestic technology suppliers, applications from Emerging Research Institutions2, and institutions with no prior DOE or Accelerator Stewardship funding are encouraged.

Many federal agencies have a vested interest in the success of accelerator R&D. In addition to the Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), High Energy Physics (HEP), Nuclear Physics (NP), and Isotope Production (IP) programs within SC, stakeholders include the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the DOE Environmental Management Program Office (EM), the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Physics

2 Emerging Research Institutions are understood to include those with High Research Activity (i.e., an “R2” classification) according to the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, which can be found at https://carnegieclassifcations.acenet.edu. A list of institutions with very high research activity (R1 institutions) is available at https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/lookup/srp.php?clq=%7B%22basic2005_ids%22%3A%2215%22%7D& start_page=standard.php&backurl=standard.php&limit=0,50. A list of institutions with high research activity (R2 institutions) is available at https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/lookup/srp.php?clq=%7B%22basic2005_ids%22%3A%2216%22%7D& start_page=standard.php&backurl=standard.php&limit=0,50.

https://science.osti.gov/ARDAP https://carnegieclassifcations.acenet.edu/ https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/lookup/srp.php?clq=%7B%22basic2005_ids%22%3A%2215%22%7D&start_page=standard.php&backurl=standard.php&limit=0,50 https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/lookup/srp.php?clq=%7B%22basic2005_ids%22%3A%2215%22%7D&start_page=standard.php&backurl=standard.php&limit=0,50 https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/lookup/srp.php?clq=%7B%22basic2005_ids%22%3A%2216%22%7D&start_page=standard.php&backurl=standard.php&limit=0,50 https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/lookup/srp.php?clq=%7B%22basic2005_ids%22%3A%2216%22%7D&start_page=standard.php&backurl=standard.php&limit=0,50

(PHY), the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Naval Research (ONR), the DOD Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Radiation Effects & Analysis Group, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Ionizing Radiation Physics Division, among others. Applicants are advised to learn about the missions of these agencies.

Please note that this NOFO is only for cross-cutting R&D opportunities within the Accelerator Stewardship mission, meaning that R&D proposals must have a recognized impact on more than one of the programs listed above. The SC programs in BES, FES, HEP, NP, and IP routinely have dedicated calls for proposals for programmatic accelerator research and development aimed at developing technologies for facilities needed by their respective programs.

Program Objective

HEP’s subprogram in Accelerator Stewardship was established in 2014, and Accelerator Development was established in 2022. The Accelerator Stewardship subprogram is aimed at use-inspired basic R&D and cross-cutting basic R&D to test new applications of accelerator technology, with a goal of up to TRL-43, but no explicit MRL4 goal. The Accelerator Development subprogram is aimed at strengthening domestic suppliers of critical accelerator technology, with a goal of up to TRL-6 and MRL-5 to -7.

Table 1: Summary of NOFO Tracks, Aims, Funding Amounts, Eligibility, and Requirements

Application Track

Aim TRL Goal

MRL

Goal

Typical Award

Applicant Eligibility

Teaming Voluntary Cost

Commitment

Application Length

A cc el er at or

St ew ar ds hi

Track 1 Use-inspired basic R&D ≤TRL-4 None $2M/ 3 yrs All domestic Required Strongly Encouraged 16 pages

Track 2 Terminal renewal applications only for PIs at organizations with an award expiring in FY 2026. 5 pages

Track 3 Proposals for Track 3: Accelerator Test Facility Program, are no longer accepted.

A cc el er at or

D ev el op m en t Track 4a Proposals for Track 4a: Accelerator Business Sector Studies, are no longer accepted.

Track 4b R&D

Partnerships with private sector

≤TRL-6

≥MRL-

5 and

≤MRL-

$2M/ 2 yrs

Domestic for-profit organizations Required Strongly

Encouraged 18 pages

Accelerator Stewardship Subprogram

The central goals of Accelerator Stewardship are to:

3 TRL – Technology Readiness Level, for definitions see DOE G 413.3-4A Chg 1 (Admin Chg) (2015) https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0413.3-EGuide-04-admchg1.

4 MRL – Manufacturing Readiness Level, for definitions see https://www.manufacturingusa.com/reports/national-network-manufacturing-innovation-preliminary-design.

https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0413.3-EGuide-04-admchg1 https://www.manufacturingusa.com/reports/national-network-manufacturing-innovation-preliminary-design

• Engage the expertise and facilities of the existing U.S. accelerator R&D ecosystem in a manner that enhances the ability of research sponsors to support innovative concepts;

• Enhance the accelerator technology capabilities of U.S. industry;

• Facilitate access to the accelerator R&D capabilities at the SC National Laboratories through the BeamNetUS program;

• Drive a limited number of specific accelerator applications towards practical, testable prototypes in a five to seven (5-7) year timeframe;

• Foster collaboration between developers of accelerator technology and experts who apply accelerator technology; and

• Provide the basic R&D foundation necessary for sustained innovation across a broad range of accelerator applications.

These activities are divided into separate “Tracks” in this NOFO. Applications must address a topic in one Track only. Topics may not be combined between Tracks as the application format, eligibility requirements, project duration, funding limitations, and merit criteria differ significantly.

Applicants are encouraged to review the Accelerator Stewardship Awards made to date at the webpage: https://science.osti.gov/ardap/Funding-Opportunities/Awarded-RD- Activities.

Applications that are intended to meet specific BES, FES, HEP, NP, or IP programmatic research needs should be submitted in response to the Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcements issued by those Offices. This NOFO is for research that is cross-cutting (i.e., applicable to multiple Office of Science programs) only.

Applications that are not in direct support of a topic under the Tracks below (e.g., conferences, experimental operations, specific project R&D or fabrication) must be submitted to the FY 2026 Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (DE-FOA-0003600).

TRACK 1: ACCELERATOR STEWARDSHIP TOPICAL AREAS

Accelerator Stewardship Topic Areas are focused R&D efforts aimed at solving a specific accelerator application problem in a specific area. The desired end goal after one to two (1-2) grant cycles (e.g., three to six (3-6) years) is a working prototype technology at TRL-4. This Track has broad eligibility requirements, see Section II.A for more information. Teams, comprising at a minimum of an accelerator technology partner and an application partner, are expected to apply in this area, and develop an application that clearly defines the technology development pathway, teaming and management plan, IP allocation, and market opportunity (where applicable).

https://science.osti.gov/ardap/Funding-Opportunities/Awarded-RD-Activities

Applicants must provide evidence of the Stewardship Customer’s5 commitment to the proposed activity. This commitment may take the form of uncompensated effort; the provision of surplus materials, supplies, or equipment; the provision of access to facilities at no or reduced cost; voluntary cost sharing; mentoring, training, or coaching of personnel; or other methods of involving the Stewardship Customer in the proposed activity. See Section II.B for more information.

The following four topic areas are active in Track 1 of this NOFO:

a) Particle Therapy Beam Delivery Improvements (renewal applications only);

b) Ultrafast Laser Technology Program;

c) High Power Electron Accelerator Technology for Industrial Applications; and

d) Compact Accelerator Technologies for Security and Medicine.

Applications submitted under Track 1 should address specific research goals in only one of these topical areas.

In addition to the standard merit criteria applied to all scientific applications, applications submitted under Track 1 will be specifically reviewed for (1) the strength and breadth of the collaborative team and (2) the quality of the technology R&D plan. See Section VI.B for a description of the Merit Review Criteria, and Section VI.C for a description of the selection criteria.

(a) Particle Therapy Beam Delivery Improvements

Technical Contact: Eric Colby, 301-722-2148, Eric.Colby@science.doe.gov

NOTE: This topic area is open to renewal applications only. Contact the program manager prior to submitting a pre-application.

(b) Ultrafast Laser Technology Program

Lasers are used or proposed for use in many areas of scientific research: as spectroscopic sources, pump-probe sources, drivers for electron, ion, and x-ray sources, as drivers for novel accelerator concepts for future colliders; as generators of electromagnetic radiation ranging from THz to gamma rays. In many cases, ultrafast lasers with pulse lengths well below a picosecond are required, with excellent stability, reliability, and beam quality. With scientific applications demanding ever-higher fluxes of particles and radiation, greater precision and control over field and optical phase, and wider wavelength coverage, the driving laser technology must also evolve to meet the demand.

5 “Stewardship Customer”, or more generically, “stakeholder” is defined and examples of evidence of support are given in Section VI.B.6.

These applications have some general technological requirements in common which include the following:

• Ultrafast pulses (<1 ps).

• High average powers (>10s of W up to 100 kW or more).

• Diffraction limited beams.

• Good (ps) to excellent (fs) pulse timing, sometimes with carrier-envelope phase (CEP) control.

• Robust and reliable operation.

Many important applications also require, or can benefit from the following:

• High pulse energy (>0.01 J up to 1 kJ).

• High pre-pulse power contrast (better than 10-5).

• High wall-plug efficiency (>20% with a goal of 30% or higher).

• Longer laser wavelengths (>1.5 µm out to 10 µm).

The primary goals of the Ultrafast Laser Technology Program are to develop the enabling technologies that will ultimately lead to construction of demonstration prototypes for one or more of the principal types of ultrafast lasers needed for scientific applications, and to enhance industry’s capability to produce the necessary technologies.

Ultrafast lasers for accelerator applications fall into three broad laser types:

• Type I laser systems are high-repetition rate systems that are used to perform high-resolution and high-fidelity measurements, particularly for applications to chemical sensing and spectroscopy, excitation and probing of small-cross-section and stochastic processes, ultrafast electron dynamics, electron beam-based cooling schemes, and high-current sources of polarized electrons and positrons.

• Type II laser systems are high-average power lasers used to excite plasma waves for particle trapping and high gradient acceleration, and for the generation of x-rays through High Harmonic Generation (HHG) and/or Laser Wakefield Acceleration.

• Type III laser systems are ultrafast laser systems used for generating high repetition rate radiation pulses through nonlinear processes, particularly HHG and THz generation.

The target performance parameters for each of the three ultrafast laser types are summarized in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2: Target performance parameters for each of the three laser types.

Type I:

High-repetition rate laser

Type II:

High-average power laser

Type III:

Few-cycle laser

Pulse peak power >1 kW 10 ‒ 300 TW 1 ‒ 10 TW Wavelength 0.8 ‒ 10 µm 0.5 ‒ 10 µm 2 ‒ 5 µm Pulse Energy n.c. 1 ‒ 10 J 10 ‒ 100 mJ Pulse Length n.c. 30 ‒ 100 fs[1] few-cycle Repetition Rate 0.1 ‒ 1 GHz 1 ‒ 10 kHz > 100 kHz Average Power 10 ‒ 100 W 1 ‒ 100 kW 50 ‒ 500 W Energy Stability <1% <1% <0.5% Beam Quality Strehl > 0.95 (Strehl > 0.95)[1] Strehl > 0.95 Wall-plug Efficiency n.c. >10% for <10kW

>20% for >10kW n.c.

Pre-pulse contrast n.c. >10^5 n.c.

Time window for pre-pulse n.c. ns ‒ ps n.c.

Phase stability if CEP locked < 100 mrad Optional, < 300 mrad < 100 mrad

Pointing stability n.c. < 0.1 µrad n.c.

Bandwidth n.c. Transform-limited n.c.

n.c. – not critical, can be freely determined from other specifications in the table [1] requirement applies to lasers at 1-2 micron wavelength, with scaled requirements for longer wavelengths

This initial phase of the Laser Technology Program will concentrate on basic research and engineering design studies to produce the breakthroughs in technology and design architecture necessary to make each of the three laser types practical. Applications are sought in these five topical areas:

(1) Ultrafast gain materials capable of very high average power. Development of materials suitable for fiber or bulk usage, supporting amplification of <100 fs pulses, with excellent thermal conductivity, low thermal lensing, low saturation fluence, high damage threshold and small quantum defect will be key to increasing average power capabilities of ultrafast lasers. Materials must be scalable to average powers in the kilowatt range and above while maintaining excellent beam quality.

(2) Increased robustness and reduction in size of optical components. Each will reduce the cost of ultrafast laser systems. Development of ultrafast optical coatings and materials capable of supporting <100 fs laser pulses with significantly increased damage threshold, excellent thermal stability, and low loss and low scatter will permit more compact, higher reliability ultrafast lasers to be developed.

(3) Innovations in laser architecture, cryogenics, and other advanced thermal management techniques. Direct diode pumping, coherent combination, hybrid fiber/bulk systems, and the use of advanced cryogenic systems will be needed to significantly increase the average power performance of ultrafast lasers.

(4) Wavelength extension further into the infrared. The development of efficient, robust, cost-effective ultrafast laser systems out to 10 microns in wavelength will enable new applications such as solid-state seeding for ultrafast CO2 lasers and driving HHG hard x-ray generators, as well as open new opportunities in plasma acceleration and high harmonic generation. Significant increases in repetition rate are needed to achieve high average power.

(5) Improvements in laser quality. Advances in pulse contrast, optical phase noise, flexible pulse shaping (both transverse and longitudinal), and precision synchronization to external references will directly impact both the quality and capability of the laser-based sciences.

The Ultrafast Laser Technology Program of this NOFO includes initial R&D to identify promising technical avenues for developing ultrafast lasers of the three types discussed above. It does not include the engineering and construction of full-scale demonstration laser systems for any of the three types during this initial phase. Applications to develop full-scale demonstration laser systems are out of the scope of this NOFO and will be declined without review.

To meet the teaming requirement, applications under this Track 1 topic area are strongly encouraged to include significant participation from each of the following: (1) an institution with technical leadership in a relevant laser technology, and (2) an institution with technical leadership in the application of laser technology to accelerators and/or (3) a domestic company currently marketing related laser products. Applications lacking significant participation from a laser technology or accelerator technology partner, and/or an industry partner, may score poorly under merit review.

Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to review the reports of the last two workshops on Laser Technology. These reports provide an overview of the needs, technical issues, and required R&D to develop ultrafast laser technology for scientific applications.

1) 2023 Basic Research Needs Workshop on Laser Technology: https://science.osti.gov/- /media/ardap/pdf/2024/Laser-Technology-Workshop-Report_20240105_final.pdf

2) 2013 Lasers for Accelerator Workshop Report:

https://science.osti.gov/~/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Lasers_for_Accelerators_Report_Final.pdf.

(c) High-Power Electron Accelerator Technology for Industrial Applications Technical Contact: Eric Colby, (301)-903-5475, Eric.Colby@science.doe.gov

Particle accelerator technologies have been applied to solve a range of issues in the energy & environmental (E&E) area including: treating potable and wastewater, removing pollutants https://science.osti.gov/-/media/ardap/pdf/2024/Laser-Technology-Workshop-Report_20240105_final.pdf https://science.osti.gov/-/media/ardap/pdf/2024/Laser-Technology-Workshop-Report_20240105_final.pdf https://science.osti.gov/%7E/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Lasers_for_Accelerators_Report_Final.pdf https://science.osti.gov/%7E/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Lasers_for_Accelerators_Report_Final.pdf from stack gases, increasing the energy efficiency of industrial material processing, remediating water-borne and soil-borne contaminants, and replacing radioactive sources in sterilization applications. In many cases the use of accelerator technology for these applications offers important performance advantages. Some of these E&E applications are currently served by existing non-accelerator-based technologies; however, continued improvements in accelerator technology have lowered the cost and increased the reliability of this technology, opening the possibility of broader use in E&E applications.

These applications have some general technological requirements in common which include the following:

• The need to expose significant mass streams to kGy-class radiation fields, requiring:

o Very high average beam powers (>500 kW up to 10 MW) o High wall-plug efficiency (>50%)

• The need to operate economically in harsh industrial environments:

o Low capital and operating costs o Robust, reliable, turn-key operation

The primary goals of the High-Power Electron Accelerator Technology program are to develop the enabling technologies that may ultimately lead to construction of demonstration prototypes for one or more of the principal types of high-power electron accelerators needed for E&E applications, and to enhance industry’s capability to produce the necessary technologies.

The general requirements for high power electron accelerators for E&E applications were identified at a workshop (see references below) and can be divided into four basic types of accelerators, summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Target performance for high-power electron accelerators for E&E applications:

Type 1 Demo/Small Scale

Type 2 Medium Scale Low Energy

Type 3 Medium Scale High Energy

Type 4 Large Scale High Energy

Example Applications

R&D, Sterilization, industrial effluent streams

Flue Gas, Wastewater

Wastewater, sludge, medical waste

Sludge, Medical waste, Env.

remediation

Electron Beam Energy

0.5-1.5 MeV 1-2 MeV 10 MeV 10 MeV

Electron Beam Power (CW)

>0.5 MW >1 MW >1 MW >10 MW

Wall-plug Efficiency

>50% >50% >50% >75%

Target Capital Cost*

<$10/W <$10/W <$10/W <$5/W

Target Operating Cost†

<1.0M$/yr <1.5M$/yr <1.5M$/yr <12M$/yr

*Total cost of the accelerator, including all supporting systems (e.g., power, cooling, control, safety).

†Total operating cost including all labor, supplies, repairs, and electricity costs.

• Demo or Small-Scale Systems are used for processing low-density material streams

(gas or liquid) in moderate quantities, such as industrial effluent streams at flows of order 0.1-0.2 MGD, depending on dose. (1 MGD=1 million gallons per day).

• Medium-Scale Low-Energy Systems are used for processing low-density material streams in high volumes, such as for electron beam treatment of flue gases at flow rates of 100,000-200,000 Nm3/hr, and wastewater treatment at flows of 1-1.5 MGD.

• Medium-Scale High-Energy Systems are used for processing high-density materials (solids and sludges) in moderate volumes, such as for medical waste sterilization and sludge treatment at mass flow rates of 20-70 kg/s.

• Large-Scale High-Energy Systems are proposed for use in processing large volumes of high-density materials, such as for environmental remediation of contaminated soil, medical waste sterilization, and sludge treatment at mass flow rates of 0.2-0.7 metric ton per second.

The High-Power Electron Accelerator Technology for Industrial Applications Program has completed a set of feasibility studies and will focus in this next phase on achieving the necessary advances in efficient Radio Frequency (rf) power production and low-cost accelerator structures. Applications submitted under this topic are to be for multi-year use-inspired R&D concepts leading to achievement of the stated performance metrics.

Applications which do not directly address all the metrics of the subtopic area will be declined without review.

a. High-Efficiency High-Average Power RF Sources. The very high-power accelerators required for E&E applications will require highly efficient, low-cost sources of rf power.

R&D to significantly improve the power efficiency of high-average-power (CW or high duty factor) rf tubes is sought. Net tube power efficiency (including focusing magnet power) must exceed 80%, and average tube power must exceed 250 kW, with a pulse format (peak power, pulse length) that is appropriate for either normal conducting or superconducting accelerators, and an output that is stably phase locked to an external reference. The proposed device must provide an economical route to producing 1 MW or more of average power by scaling, coherent combination, or both, at a rf tube cost that does not exceed $1.50 per watt of average power output. A detailed estimate of the tube’s production cost must be included in Appendix 7 to support claims that the cost metric will be met; applications lacking this supporting documentation may be declined without review. There is particular interest in rf power sources operating at frequencies that are in widespread use at the large SC accelerators6.

b. Economical Accelerator Structures for Megawatt-Class Beams. Providing low-cost very high-power accelerators for E&E applications will require advances in the design and manufacture of accelerator structures to increase performance and reduce cost.

6 See https://science.osti.gov/user-facilities/user-facilities-at-a-glance/.

https://science.osti.gov/user-facilities/user-facilities-at-a-glance/

R&D applications are sought for accelerator structures that are optimized for very high-power transfer efficiency into high beam currents and optimized for low production cost and low operation cost for industrial use. Proposed R&D must lead to an accelerator design and a single-unit prototype structure that meets one of the following sets of requirements:

i. superconducting rf, 1 MeV total voltage gain, 1 MW total power coupled to beam, 90% minimum rf-to-beam-power coupling efficiency, costing less than $1.50/watt fully dressed (including couplers, cryostat, cryocoolers, magnetic and thermal shields); or

ii. superconducting rf, 10 MeV total voltage gain, 1 MW total power coupled to beam, 90% minimum rf-to-beam-power coupling efficiency, costing less than $3.00/watt full dressed (including couplers, cryostat, cryocoolers, magnetic and thermal shields); or

iii. normal conducting rf, 1 MeV total voltage gain, 1 MW total power coupled to beam, 90% minimum rf-to-beam-power coupling efficiency, costing less than $0.50/watt fully dressed (including couplers, vacuum enclosure, cooling systems).

The voltage gain and coupled power requirements may be met by using multiple accelerating cavities, but the cost metric then applies to the entire system. A detailed estimate of the accelerator structure’s production cost must be included in Appendix 7 to support claims that the cost metric will be met; applications lacking this supporting documentation may be declined without review. Note that in all cases, the cost metric does not include the cost of rf power generation and transmission to the accelerator, nor does it include peripheral systems such as the electron source, beam focusing and delivery, controls and diagnostics, shielding enclosures, etc. At a minimum, the prototype accelerator structure must be experimentally demonstrated to work at the required duty factor, at full accelerating voltage, without beam, but with performance characteristics that are consistent with accelerating 1 MW of beam. There is particular interest in rf accelerators operating at frequencies that are in widespread use at the large SC accelerators7.

The High-Power Electron Accelerator Technology program of this NOFO includes initial R&D to identify promising technical avenues for developing very high-power electron accelerators of the four types discussed above. It does not include the engineering and construction of full-scale accelerator installations for any of the four types during this initial phase. Applications to develop a full-scale accelerator installation are out of the scope of this NOFO and will be declined without review.

To meet the teaming requirement, applications under this Track 1 topic area are strongly encouraged to include significant participation from each of the following: (1) an institution with technical leadership in a relevant accelerator technology, (2) an institution with technical experience in applying accelerator technology to the energy or environmental

7 See https://science.osti.gov/user-facilities/user-facilities-at-a-glance/.

https://science.osti.gov/user-facilities/user-facilities-at-a-glance/ application proposed, and/or (3) a domestic company currently marketing related technology. Applications lacking significant participation in either of these two areas may score poorly under merit review.

Workshops were conducted to identify the accelerator technology research directions with the potential for high impact in E&E applications. Workshops relevant to this topic area include:

• Workshop on Energy and Environmental Applications of Accelerators, Edited by Stuart Henderson and Thomas Waite, (2015).

https://science.osti.gov/~/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Energy_Environment_Report_Final.pdf .

• Accelerators for America’s Future, Edited by Walter Henning and Charles Shank, (2009). https://science.osti.gov/~/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Report.pdf.

(d) Compact Accelerator Technologies for Security and Medicine

Technical Contact: Eric Colby, (301)-903-5475, Eric.Colby@science.doe.gov

Accelerators are used as sources of high-energy x-rays and electrons for a variety of applications in security and medicine. Many of these applications can be significantly impacted in the near term by translating advanced component and system technologies from scientific research labs towards commercial applications and by developing use-inspired benchtop demonstrators in the next 3-6 years. For some applications, the adjustability of an accelerator source (in energy, energy spectrum, beam current, and power) could offer important performance gains. Similarly, the time structure of such a source could allow noise reduction and/or time resolved measurements. For some applications, the presently available source is a radioactive isotope-filled capsule, which poses a security risk.

This group of applications have some general technological requirements in common which include the following:

• Compactness of the source o Often 10 x 10 x 30cm or less (including the electron source, accelerator, target/convertor, but not including supporting equipment)

• Primary (electron) beam energies in the <10 MeV range o Although some applications call for much more to produce narrowband x-rays

• A wide range of energy adjustability o Typically by at least a factor of two (2), often by a factor of 10 or more o Often on a shot-by-shot basis

• A wide range of current adjustability o Typically by two to four (2 – 4) orders of magnitude o Often on a shot-by-shot basis

• Moderate primary beam power o Many applications are in the 50 W-500 W range, but some battery-powered https://science.osti.gov/%7E/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Energy_Environment_Report_Final.pdf https://science.osti.gov/%7E/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Energy_Environment_Report_Final.pdf https://science.osti.gov/%7E/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Report.pdf https://science.osti.gov/%7E/media/hep/pdf/accelerator-rd-stewardship/Report.pdf file://osccifs.osc.doe.gov/ODrive/SC-3.4/NOTICES/FY%2023%20-%20FOA%20Folders%20and%20All%20Files/FOA%202951%20-%20ARDAP%20Accelerator%20Stew%20and%20Dev/Eric.Colby@science.doe.gov applications require 1 W, and several other applications require 1 kW or more

• Robustness and reliability o Most applications need a source that can be used for thousands of hours without expert intervention

• Cost Competitiveness o Most applications require an overall source cost (including power supplies, cooling, controls, etc.) of less than $1M, some applications require total source cost < $100K.

The general requirements for high power electron accelerators for security and medical applications were identified at a 2019 workshop (see references below) and can be grouped into four basic types of accelerators, summarized in Table 4.

Table 4. Four types of compact electron accelerators to drive advanced security and medical applications

Type I Type II Type III Type IV General Type

Ultra-low Power Portable

Low- to Moderate- Power

Moderate- to High- Power High Energy

Example Applications

Emergency Response

Portable Conventional Radiotherapy, Radiography, Down well (DW), Chip & Circuit Inspection (CCI), Electronic Brachytherapy (eB), FLASH-RT (FRT) including VHEE, Pre-clinical RT Machines

(PCRT)

Secondary Screening (SS), High Energy Density Physics (HEDP), Non-Destructive Testing

(NDT)

NRF, Ptychography, XFEL, MPS for screening, MPS for radiography

Energy Tuning Range

0.3-4 MeV Photons: 0.1-14 MeV Electrons: Up to 250 MeV

0.1-10 MeV 6-1500 MeV

Beam Power 1 W eB: 50 W

FRT, CCI, DW: 100 W

Others: 300-500 W

HEDP: 500 W

NDT, SS: 1000 W

100 W

Desired Maximum Size (accelerator only)

10x10x30 cm eB: 1x1x1 cm

NDT, DW:

10 Dx22 L cm PCRT 20x20x25 cm Others:

10x10x60 cm

SS, HEDP:10x10x60 cm

NRF, Screening :

10x10x60 cm Ptychography:

20x20x250 cm XFEL: <10 m long

Special Features

LER: <12 kg, battery power, <300 W HER: <50 kg, line power, <1.2 kW eB: Can be sterilized Inspection: 50 micron spot size Down well: 200 C operation

Inspection: Spot size <1 micron

NRF: 1-7 MVp tuning range XFEL: <5 micron spot size, <50 fs pulse length Ptychography: 0.5-4 micron spot size, 0.1% energy spread

Target Capital Cost

<$100k eB: <$600k NDT, Down well:

<$200k Others: <$1M

<$1M XFEL, ptychography:

<$20M

• Ultra-low Power Portable systems – designed primarily for emergency response to perform radiography on either moderate density or high-density objects. These systems must be man-portable, rely on either battery power or limited line power, and be low cost. Beam energies range from a few hundred kilovolts to 4 MeV at less than a watt of beam power to provide broadband (i.e., bremsstrahlung) photons from 300 kVp-4 MVp.

• Low- to Moderate-Power systems – designed to provide either electron beams up to 250 MeV for cancer therapy, or to provide higher fluence photon sources in the

100 kVp-14 MVp range. Beam power requirements range from 50 Watts to more than 500 W to provide the necessary fluence. Some uses require ultracompact formats— for example electronic brachytherapy sources must fit in an endoscope, and down-well source must fit in a 10 cm bore. For cancer therapy dose control must be very precise (2%), for still other applications spectral agility is important.

• Moderate- to High-Power systems – designed to provide high- to very-high-flux photon sources for high-speed inspection of dense objects, sterilization of medical devices, food, and sterilize harmful insects. Photon energies in the 300 kVp-10 MVp range are needed, with beam powers ranging from 500 Watts to more than 1 kW to provide the necessary fluence.

• High Energy systems – designed to provide extremely narrowband and/or coherent sources of photons. These devices are typically not bremsstrahlung sources but require more complex radiation generation processes such as inverse Compton scattering or undulator radiation to produce photons in the required energy range and narrow bandwidth. These systems typically require energies on the order of 1 GeV and while beam power requirements are modest, beam quality becomes critical.

The primary goals of the Compact Accelerator Technology program are to (1) develop the enabling technologies that may ultimately lead to demonstration prototypes of one or more of the principal types of compact electron accelerator needed for security and medical applications, and to (2) enhance domestic industrial capability to produce the necessary technologies.

(1) BASIC R&D ON COMPACT ACCELERATOR TECHNOLOGY

The Compact Accelerator Technology program is focused on use-inspired basic research to produce the breakthroughs in technology necessary to make each of the four compact accelerator types practical. Applications are sought in these two topical areas:

1. High gradient radiofrequency accelerator technology. Applications for significant advances in normal conducting radiofrequency accelerator technology meeting the challenging Space Weight and Power (SWaP) and cost requirements in Table 4 are sought. The application must clearly define the R&D milestones and technical pathway to meeting the energy, beam power, and SWaP requirements defined for one of the accelerator types identified in Table 4 within 3-6 years. A detailed estimate of the accelerator’s expected production cost must be included in Appendix 7 to support claims that the cost metric will be met; applications lacking this supporting documentation may be declined without review.

2. Efficient x-ray generation techniques. Innovations in electron-driven photon generating technologies usable in the 60 kVp to 14 MVp range with significantly improved electron-to-photon conversion efficiency (as compared to optimized bremsstrahlung production) and improved spectral selectivity (e.g., <20% BW) are sought in a compact device that will withstand the required input electron beam power for one of the four types identified in Table 4.

[Design principles for “expert” accelerator control systems. This subtopic has been superseded by DOE’s Genesis Mission (https://genesis.energy.gov/).