Development of Stripline Kickers for Low Emittance Rings: Application to the Beam Extraction Kicker for CLIC Damping Rings

In the framework of the design study of Future Linear Colliders, the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) aims for electron-positron collisions with high luminosity at a nominal centre-of-mass energy of 3 TeV. To achieve the luminosity requirements, Pre-Damping Rings (PDRs) and Damping Rings (DRs) are required: they reduce the beam emittance before the beam is accelerated in the main linac. Several injection and extraction systems are needed to inject and extract the beam from the PDRs and DRs. The work of this Thesis consists of the design, fabrication and laboratory tests of the first stripline kicker prototype for beam extraction from the CLIC DRs, although the methodology proposed can be extended to stripline kickers for any low emittance ring. The excellent field homogeneity required, as well as a good transmission of the high voltage pulse through the electrodes, has been achieved by choosing a novel electrode shape. With this new geometry, it has been possible to benefit from all the advantages that the most common shapes introduce separately. Furthermore, a detailed study of the different operating modes of a stripline kicker allowed the beam coupling impedance to be fully characterized at low frequencies. The optimum design of the striplines and their components has been based on studies of impedance matching, field homogeneity, power transmission, beam coupling impedance and manufacturing tolerances. Other studies concerning higher order modes and electrodes heating have been done. The striplines have been manufactured by the spanish company Trinos Vacuum Projects, and laboratory tests without beam have been carried out in order to characterize the striplines. The following tests have been done: power reflection, longitudinal and transverse beam coupling impedance and RF breakdown. Finally, new ideas for further improvement of the performance of future striplines are reported.