Alpha E

Modular Accessories

Accessories and Component Upgrades

Many components of the Alpha-E system can be used as stand-alone devices or in other configurations as a part of a modular research or teaching platform. Please contact us at alpha-e@alpharing.com for more information on hardware and software integration options.

Layout of the Alpha-E system

Layout of the Alpha-E system footprint

Accessories and Component Upgrades

RF Source

Drive ECR plasma generation with a configurable 2.45 GHz microwave source.The RF/MW source supplies the excitation power for the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma in the ion source. Operating at 2.45 GHz — in the upper RF / lower microwave band — the unit is designed to supply up to 500 W peak power. The source consists of a solid-state oscillator followed by a series of amplifiers and signal conditioning hardware. The amplifier gain is fixed; output power is adjusted by the user via a software-controlled attenuator. For typical operation, the RF/MW source is pulsed at 100–1000 Hz at a 5–10% duty cycle.

Technical Specifications

  • Frequency: 2.45 GHz
  • Peak output power: 500 W
  • Output impedance: 50 Ω (Type-N connector)
  • Front-panel input: 50 Ω SMA connector for external signal input
  • Communication ports: RS-232, USB-C, and RJ-45
  • Cooling: Series-cooled with the ion source
  • Power: Supplied from the mains connection on the primary enclosure

High-Voltage Power Supply

Flyback transformer driver with CW multiplier for stable ion acceleration.The Alpha-E HVPS uses a flyback transformer topology with an 8-stage Cockcroft-Walton (CW) multiplier to generate the ion acceleration voltage.

Technical Specifications

  • Driver topology: Flyback
  • CW-multiplier stages: 8
  • Maximum operating voltage: 30 kV or 75 kV
  • Maximum operating current: ~150 µA
  • Input voltage: 12–36 VDC, 1 A max
  • Communication: UART over fiber optics
  • Interlock: Hardware interlock for safe operation
  • Cooling: Internal fan

Interested in Custom Integrations?

Let us know what configuration or performance characteristics would be needed in your particular application or experiment designs.

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