Lee joined ASTeC in October 2005, following the completion of his Ph.D. research in the field of spin-resolved electron spectroscopy. He applies his practical research and experimental skills to the field of high-performance electron sources for particle accelerators, specialising in photocathode research and leading ASTeC's Photocathode R&D Team.
Lee worked on the ALICE energy-recovery linear accelerator project (2005 – 2016) to develop and support the GaAs photocathode electron source and its drive laser system in the DC electron gun. In 2019, this electron gun was gifted to the PERLE facility in Caen, France.
He played a key role in the design, development and commissioning of a III-V GaAs semiconductor Photocathode Preparation Facility (PPF) which was part of a planned upgrade to the existing ALICE photocathode electron gun. To achieve this he worked closely with the Institute of Semiconductor Physics (ISP, Novosibirsk, Russia), acknowledged experts in this technological field.
This collaboration with the ISP has led to several publications and the development of a unique experimental system called TESS (Transverse Energy Spread Spectrometer). TESS measures the energy spread in the electron beam generated by a photocathode, and its design has attracted interest from the accelerator electron source community worldwide.
"The primary aim of this research is to gain an understanding what drives energy spread from a photocathode electron source, and how this can be minimised to improve electron beam quality and accelerator performance."
Since 2015, Lee has supported operation of the VELA and CLARA RF electron guns, both of which currently use metal photocathodes. He provides opinion and advice in the engineering and development of infrastructure to support these guns, and the science behind them. Lee is directing construction and commissioning of an alkali metal PPF (APPF) intended to provide caesium telluride photocathodes to the CLARA gun, a development that promises significantly improved performance for CLARA and follows current best practice for accelerator electron sources.
More recently, Lee has initiated a project to upgrade the Multiprobe experimental system to improve its functionality and ensure its capabilities match ASTeC's long-term R&D goals. Multiprobe provides a host of surface characterisation information (UPS, XPS, AFM/STM, QE, LEED) which is complementary to energy spread measurements from the TESS.
Lee is a member of the scientific organizing committee for the European Workshop on Photocathodes for Accelerator Applications (EWPAA). He was responsible for organizing the 2016 EWPAA workshop which was hosted by the Cockcroft Institute at Daresbury Laboratory.
Trained in laser safety, Lee is responsible for the construction and safe use of several UV laser systems and high-power light sources, their integration with experimental systems, and their utilisation for fundamental photocathode research.
Lee has a huge amount of experience in science communication, having been responsible for the delivery of ASTeC's highly-successful public engagement programme (2009 – 2017).
His professional network includes established links with senior scientists in the photocathode groups at:
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
- Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Villigen, Switzerland
- IR-FEL and CEBAF injector groups at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, USA
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) photocathode group, USA
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) photocathode group, USA
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) XFEL vacuum group, Hamburg, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) injector group, Berlin, Germany
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Milan and Lecce, Italy
Publications for Dr. Lee Jones
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ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4791-753X
