Scientists are exploring the use of chip-sized electron accelerators, according to a study in the journal Nature. The technology has potential near-term applications including radiation therapy for treating skin cancer, as well as longer-term applications such as new types of laser and light sources. Conventional particle accelerators are limited in size by the peak fields the metallic surfaces can withstand, and can be very large. However, by using electrically insulating dielectric materials, scientists are investigating the creation of “accelerators on a chip”, which could be much smaller and cheaper. The study focused on fabricating a tiny channel that accelerated electrons.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/particle-accelerator-chip-sized