The EuPRAXIA Advanced Photon Sources “EuAPS” project complements the overall EuPRAXIA project and the ongoing work at INFN-LNF with a project on the required Advanced Photon Sources and related additional innovations and applications. Advanced Photon Sources act here as drivers for plasma waves in ultra-high-gradient accelerators or as plasma-based sources of ultra-short pulses of high intensity x-rays.

EuAPS will set up a laser-driven “betatron” X Ray facility at the existing SPARC_LAB test facility. Betatron sources are spatially coherent and can fill the large performance gap between synchrotron and X-ray tube based sources. This already proven concept, part of the EuPRAXIA science goals, has inherent advantages in resolution due to the small (point like) emission volume in plasma.

Advancement in Laser technology today allows to use a higher peak power system (up to 1 PW at 10 Hz) thus increasing the extracted electron energy. In addition, progress in controlling the electron injection process allows to increase the bunch charge. This will result in an enhancement of the number of photons per pulse. Alternatively the repetition rate can be increased (up to 100 Hz with 300 TW) thus providing in both cases users with higher average photon flux. EuAPS includes the development of the required drive lasers. The work towards High Power (up to 1 PW) and High Repetition Rate (up to 100 Hz) is spear-headed by the INFN-LNS (Catania, IT) and CNR-INO (Pisa, IT)  laboratories, offering a platform for advanced ultrafast laser-based industrial developments.