Design and Implementation of EPICS on the Laser Accelerator: CLAPA-I Control System Upgrade

The Compact Laser Plasma Accelerator (CLAPA-I) is a laser accelerator device comprised of a 200-TW laser system, an optical path transmission system, a target field system, a proton beamline system, an experimental terminal, and a control system, among other components. Its main application is in fundamental research, focusing on areas like the laser plasma acceleration mechanism and ion irradiation applications. This article delves into the upgrade process of the control system for laser accelerators. Initially, building on the foundation of the CLAPA-I system, we developed a distributed control system employing the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) control architecture, enhanced by programmable logic controller (PLC), LabVIEW, and Python. This integration allowed for a unified equipment interface capable of managing complex logic. Furthermore, this article distinguishes between the operational and control aspects of laser accelerators and their traditional counterparts, offering appropriate solutions. A reasonable and effective electromagnetic shielding scheme was proposed to counter the pronounced magnetic interference encountered during laser–target interactions. This advancement not only boosts the CLAPA-I control system’s performance but also broadens the applicability of EPICS in the laser accelerator domain, shedding light on the practical deployment of EPICS-based control systems.