Meeting the demands of future facilities requires not only technological excellence but also the ability to bridge fundamental research, innovation, and industrial implementation. At IJCLab, this integrated approach is driving key advances underpinning tomorrow’s accelerators
Particle accelerators are strategic research infrastructures that underpin Europe’s scientific leadership, technological autonomy, and innovation capacity. They enable major advances across a broad spectrum of fundamental sciences – including particle and nuclear physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science – while also supporting high-impact applications in healthcare, security, environmental sustainability, and advanced technologies. Sustained investment in accelerator science and technology is therefore essential to maintaining Europe’s global competitiveness and delivering the next generation of research infrastructures.
A central hub for accelerator science and innovation
Within this context, the Accelerator Physics Pole at Irène Joliot-Curie Laboratory (IJCLab), in Orsay, France, occupies a unique strategic position. Fully dedicated to the study, design, and development of particle accelerators, it brings together a critical mass of expertise spanning the full innovation chain – from fundamental research and development (R&D) to system integration and contribution to large-scale facilities. By concentrating a significant share of the national effort in accelerator R&D, IJCLab acts as a central hub for accelerator science at both national and European levels. Its activities are embedded in a dense network of international collaborations, enabling strong interactions with major research organisations (CERN, CEA, STFC, DESY…), laboratories (GANIL, PSI, JLAb, Fermilab…) and industrial partners (Thales Electron Devices, Research Instruments-GmbH, Zanon Research & innovation, CNIM Systèmes Industriels, Amplitude, ACS…).
Bridging large-scale infrastructures, innovation, and enabling technologies
The Accelerator Physics Pole at IJCLab pursues a coherent strategy based on three complementary pillars: direct contributions to large-scale research infrastructures, the exploration of innovative accelerator concepts, and the development of key enabling technologies.
On the infrastructure side, IJCLab plays a major role in the design, production, and industrialisation of critical components for international large-scale facilities. Its past contributions to projects such as SPIRAL-2 and the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (Eu-XFEL), and more recently to the European Spallation Source (ESS), the Proton Improvement Plan-II (PIP-II), and MYRRHA, illustrate its capacity to operate at the interface between research laboratories and industry within large international collaborations. Past and ongoing contributions are supported by dedicated local technological platforms, including SUPRATECH, ALTO, and the Vacuum & Surface platform, and by strong in-house engineering capabilities structured within engineering and accelerators poles, covering key domains such as mechanical design, electronics, IT, RF systems, cryogenics, vacuum technologies, and surface treatments.
This integrated environment enables the development, qualification, and industrial transfer of advanced accelerator components. This involvement not only supports the realisation of major scientific infrastructures but also contributes to strengthening European technological sovereignty in key domains such as superconducting RF systems and high-power RF technologies.
Addressing the technological challenges of next-generation accelerators
The R&D activities carried out at IJCLab are intrinsically driven by the requirements of next-generation accelerator infrastructures, in particular the Future Circular Collider (FCC-ee), identified as a priority of the high-energy physics community following the 2025 update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP). Such facilities demand unprecedented levels of beam stability, energy efficiency, and operational reliability. These activities are conducted in close collaboration with leading international laboratories and research infrastructures, ensuring strong alignment with global developments in accelerator science.
A major research effort focuses on high-performance superconducting RF (SRF) systems and high-power, high-reliability RF technologies, building on extensive experience gained through contributions to large-scale facilities. In this context, IJCLab is developing a complete 800 MHz SRF system of common interest to both FCC studies and the local PERLE project, which will be the first facility to test such a system with a high-current beam. In parallel, advanced beam dynamics studies address key limitations related to collective effects, nano-beam handling and stability in the interaction region, polarimetry, and the optimisation of positron production schemes.
Another major effort at IJCLab is dedicated to Energy Recovery Linacs (ERL), with the design, installation, and forthcoming operation of the PERLE facility. This project aims to validate the operation of an unprecedented high-current ERL, initially in a single-turn configuration and subsequently in a multi-turn scheme. Conducted within an international collaborative framework involving leading accelerator laboratories worldwide, PERLE represents a key step towards the realisation of a new generation of ERL-based facilities. The outcomes of this project are expected to significantly advance the maturity of ERL technologies and to open new perspectives for large-scale accelerator infrastructures, positioning IJCLab at the forefront of high-current ERL development worldwide.
These activities are complemented by developments in beam instrumentation and diagnostics, advanced surface treatments for high-gradient operation, and RF technologies aimed at improving overall accelerator efficiency.
Together, these efforts rely on a coherent set of experimental platforms and prototyping infrastructures, both locally and through international collaborations, enabling rapid iteration between design, validation, and integration. This integrated approach allows IJCLab to bridge the gap between upstream research and large-scale implementation, and to address the technological challenges associated with future high-luminosity and energy-efficient accelerator facilities. In this context, these developments are closely aligned with major European initiatives, including studies for FCC-ee, while maintaining broad applicability across a wide range of accelerator-based infrastructures.
Exploring new frontiers in accelerator technologies
Beyond activities directly supporting large-scale infrastructures, IJCLab is also actively engaged in the exploration of emerging acceleration techniques, in close connection with international research efforts.
In particular, research on laser-plasma acceleration and THz-driven acceleration aims to investigate new regimes of high-gradient acceleration. A specific focus is placed on beam transport, preservation of beam quality, and the integration of advanced diagnostics, leveraging expertise developed in conventional accelerator technologies. These exploratory activities contribute to broadening the technological landscape and preparing potential breakthroughs for future generations of compact and efficient accelerators.
Training, talent development, and global engagement
In addition to its scientific and technological contributions, the Accelerator Physics Pole at IJCLab plays a key role in education and knowledge transfer. Located on the Paris-Saclay campus and jointly operated under the supervision of CNRS and Université Paris-Saclay, the laboratory benefits from a strong academic environment fostering close interactions between research, teaching, and innovation.
This environment supports a high level of international attractiveness, both for collaborative research programmes and for the recruitment and training of PhD students and early-career scientists. Through the supervision of doctoral students, internships, and specialised training programmes, IJCLab contributes to the development of the next generation of accelerator scientists and engineers, while fostering a dynamic and internationally connected research community.
By combining cutting-edge research, strong involvement in major international infrastructures, and sustained efforts in innovation and training, IJCLab is well-positioned to contribute to shaping the future of accelerator science in Europe. Its integrated approach ensures that advances in fundamental research are effectively translated into technologies and systems capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow’s accelerator-based infrastructures.
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