Preparation of a Prototype Plasma Lens as an Optical Matching Device for the ILC e⁺ Source

Abstract

In recent years, high-gradient, symmetric focusing with active plasma lenses has regained significant interest due to the potential advantages in compactness and beam dynamics compared to conventional focusing elements. One potential application is the optical matching of highly divergent positrons from the undulator-based ILC positron source into the downstream accelerating structures. A collaboration between University Hamburg and DESY Hamburg has been established to develop a prototype design for this application. Here, we discuss beam dynamics simulation results, preliminary parameters of the lens prototype, and the current status of the prototype design