FANM: A software for focus and aberrations of nuclear microprobe

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Engineering
• Computational Science

Background:

• Nuclear microprobe technology requires sophisticated beam optics for precise particle manipulation.
• Accurate design tools are crucial for optimizing microprobe performance and experimental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce Focus and Aberrations of Nuclear Microprobe (FANM), a novel computational package for nuclear microprobe design.
• To achieve a balance between the speed of focusing and the accuracy of high-order aberrations in microprobe design.

Main Methods:

• Employs a combined method: matrix methods for focusing conditions and numerical ray tracing for aberration coefficients.
• Integrates two optimization algorithms: derivative-free and particle swarm optimization for multi-variable tasks.
• Utilizes 64-bit double-precision floating-point values for numerical variables to minimize calculation errors.

Main Results:

• FANM demonstrates a balance between focusing speed and aberration accuracy.
• Results were compared with six established computational tools, with discrepancies analyzed.
• Calculated magnetic quadrupole lens currents show good agreement with experimental data from a Singaporean nuclear microprobe.

Conclusions:

• FANM offers a fast and accurate solution for nuclear microprobe beam optics design.
• The software's accuracy is validated through comparison with existing tools and experimental measurements.
• FANM provides a powerful and reliable option for researchers in nuclear microprobe applications.