A Low-cost Beam Profiler Based on Cerium-doped Silica Fibers

A beam profiler called the Universal Beam Monitor (UniBEaM) has been developed by D-Pace Inc. (Canada) and the Albert Einstein Center for Fundamental Physics, Laboratory for High Energy Physics, University of Bern (Switzerland). The device is based on passing 100 to 600 micron cerium-doped optical fibers through a particle beam. Visible scintillation light from the sensor fibers is transmitted over distances of tens of meters to the light sensors with minimal signal loss and no susceptibility to electromagnetic fields. The probe has an insertion length of only 70 mm. The software plots the beam intensity distribution in the horizontal and vertical planes, and calculates the beam location and integrated profile area, which correlates well with total beam current. UniBEaM has a large dynamic range, operating with beam currents of ∼pA to mA, and a large range of particle kinetic energies of ∼keV to GeV, depending on the absorbed power density. Test data are presented for H- beams at 25keV for 500 μA, and H+ beams at 18MeV for 50pA to 10 μA. Maximum absorbed power density of the optical fiber before thermal damage is discussed in relation to dE/dx energy deposition as a function of particle type and kinetic energy. UniBEaM is well suited for a wide variety of beamlines including discovery science applications, radio-pharmaceutical production, hadron therapy, industrial ion beam applications including ion implantation, industrial electron beams, and ion source testing.