Experiments on intense ion beam formation with inhomogeneous electric field

We report on a successful test of a new method for intense ion beam formation using an extraction with inhomogeneous electric field. Its key feature is a special shape of the extraction electrodes providing a higher rate of ion acceleration. It is applicable to any ion source type and could be used to improve performance of a wide range of plasma devices. The proof of concept was carried out using a high-current electron-cyclotron resonance ion source SMIS 37. High efficiency of the new extraction and proton beam formation with a record current density of up to 1.1 A cm-2 was demonstrated.