About LEAD

AFD is deploying the Low Energy Accelerator Development (LEAD) Facility which offers access to an MeV-class Ultrafast Electron Diffraction (UED) device and two radiation-shielded accelerator development and test bunkers offering 1,648 and 833 sq. ft. of research space, respectively, with a dedicated controls area to enable a broad range research and development activities with external partners and users. Access to both ATF and LEAD capabilities, as well as AFD expertise, can be obtained through a new research network, BeamNetUS, created by the DOE Office of Accelerator R&D and Production.

Since its inception in 2010, BNL UED has enabled users to study ultrafast dynamics of materials such as thermoelectrics, superionics, and phase-changing metamaterials. A new beamline extension, consisting of a new sample chamber, detector, and spectrometer will enhance the facility's flexibility, enabling the study of new types of materials and single-event effects in electronics.

BNL UED is well suited for experiments that require low beam energy and high temporal resolution. The archetypal example of such an experiment is the study of molecular phase transitions using a laser pump and an ultrafast electron probe. The new beamline extension will allow for rapid sample changeout, enabling experiments, such as single-event effect testing, which expect to test many samples in a single experimental run. Differential pumping in the new extension permits the study of samples that may outgas too much for facilities requiring ultra-high vacuum conditions.