Abstract
We demonstrate that secondary ions sputtered from a macrocapillary's inner surface by the primary beam induce premature saturation of the guiding field, hindering fast ion guiding. By suppressing secondary ion sputtering with grooved surfaces, we achieve a guiding-field potential difference exceeding 1 kV, 2 orders of magnitude larger than previously achieved in stable ion guiding. This enables stable guiding of a 20-keV/q O5+ beam at offset angles up to 15°, with transmitted ions retaining their initial energy and charge state. A self-consistent field model accurately reproduces these results, revealing that guiding performance relies on managing secondary ions and the channel's voltage tolerance, while remaining robust against beam fluctuations. This Letter paves the way for ionic fibers that, much like optical fibers for light, passively and adaptively control ion transport.
Recommended Citation
Y. Xue and J. Liu and M. Zhang and D. Fischer and G. Xia and N. Stolterfoht and R. Schuch and Y. Wu and B. Yang and X. Li and C. Shao and W. Wang and Z. Song and X. Fang, "Guiding Fast Ion Beam By Suppressing Secondary Ions," Physical Review Letters, vol. 136, no. 10, article no. 103001, American Physical Society, Mar 2026.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1103/7vwr-szkt
Department(s)
Physics
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1079-7114; 0031-9007
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 American Physical Society, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
13 Mar 2026
Comments
National Key Research and Development Program of China, Grant 2022YFA1602501