SLAC physicists achieve record petawatt electron beam power

Physicists at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have set a new record for the most powerful electron beam, achieving over a petawatt of power in a million-billionth of a second. This beam's electric field strength is five times greater than previous records. The team developed a technique to steer electrons along a magnetic track, allowing them to bunch together more effectively. This method uses a combination of magnetic obstacles and a sapphire laser to manage energy loss and enhance the beam's intensity. This advancement could lead to new discoveries in fields like astrophysics and materials science. The research was published in Physical Review Letters.