Innovation: ENEA patents technique to generate high-intensity electromagnetic fields in a shorter time

Possible applications in materials science, medical, biological and aerospace sectors

Researchers at the ENEA Fusion and Technologies for Nuclear Safety Department patented a technique to quickly charge a material through its interaction with a high-energy laser pulse, to generate high-intensity electromagnetic fields reaching their maximum intensity very quickly and on large units, for possible applications in the field of particle acceleration and in the medical, biological, aerospace and materials science sectors.

"In addition to generating high intensity in even less than one billionth of a second, what makes our patent unique is the scheme of generation and synchronization of the fields with the laser pulse that generates them", explained Fabrizio Consoli, researcher at the ENEA Laboratory of Sources, Diagnostics and Laser-Matter Interaction, inventor of the patent jointly with Riccardo De Angelis, Pierluigi Andreoli, Mattia Cipriani, Giuseppe Cristofari and Giorgio Di Giorgio.

This technique allows to obtain electric fields that can exceed one million V / m (Volt per meter) and can theoretically reach a billion V / m.  Furthermore, the patent can be used in compact structures, given that similar performances are currently achieved only with extremely bulky devices, known as pulsed power supply / accelerators.

“The electric field can have a sinusoidal shape or closer to a pattern of impulses repeated over time. In these cases it is possible to obtain rise times (i.e. the time the field takes to reach its maximum value) of less than one millionth of a second. This means that the fields are created and then canceled abruptly, making them useful for very advanced applications ”,  Consoli concluded.

The research that led to the patent was published in an article in the international scientific journal High Power Laser Science and Engineering, which was awarded article of the year 2020. The patent was funded by the Ministry of the Economic Development, which deemed it susceptible of industrial application.

For more information please contact:

Fabrizio Consoli, ENEA – Department of Fusion and Technologies  for Nuclear Safety -  Physics of Fusion - Sources, Diagnostics and Laser-Matter Interaction Laboratory– ABC Laser Group – Frascati Research Center, fabrizio.consoli@enea.it

News on the Article of the Year 2020 Award (in italian language): https://www.enea.it/it/Stampa/news/tecnologia-premio-internazionale-a-tre-ricercatori-enea-per-studio-su-impulsi-elettromagnetici