This thesis investigates the development, characterization, and potential applications of a novel instrument designed to measure the transverse profile of accelerated beams with high resolution, sensitivity, and frame rate. The study explores various fabrication methods for creating the sensitive area of the beam profiler. Among these, the most promising approach utilizes a silicon microfabricated structure filled with polymerized scintillating resin. When an accelerated beam traverses the microscintillator channels, scintillating photons are generated and guided to the detector's edge. Here, an array of photodiodes converts the micro-spots of light into electrical signals, which are subsequently conditioned and digitized by a microcontroller running embedded processing. The proposed beam profiler enables single-shot profile measurements up to a few kilohertz when using short integration times. Its mechanical alignment, critical for accurate profile measurement, is achieved by plugging the sensitive area in its mechanical holder, ensuring a compact, simple, and robust assembly, compared to beam instrumentation that relies on wire grids or bundles of scintillating fibers. Moreover, the sensitive area can be easily replaced in case of radiation-induced signal degradation.
The first section of the thesis illustrates the limitation of advanced beam profilers currently in use on different particle accelerators, supported by experimental data. Subsequently, the development of the new beam profiler is described, encompassing modeling, design, and fabrication using four distinct methods. The readout electronics, consisting of several printed circuit boards including a modern low-level control based on a microcontroller, is thoroughly described, alongside the developed firmware and software functionalities. The thesis focuses then on the experimental characterization of several prototypes under UV illumination and mostly on proton beams with different properties. Key achievements and limitations are documented, including a prolonged irradiation test aimed at estimating the system's lifetime. The final sections of the thesis offer perspectives in two areas of application of the developed beam profile monitor; the first one is a preliminary study of a possible proton therapy accelerator capable of meeting FLASH therapy requirements. This concept involves a combination of a fixed-energy cyclotron and a linear accelerator (linac) capable of accelerating the beam to an energy of 230 MeV, along with a proposed transfer line between the linac's output and the patient. The latter is on perspective for fundamental physics experiments with protons and a possible use of the evolution of the developed beam profiler as a detector. In particular, a beam of protons at low energies (40 keV and 2 MeV) is studied for experiments aiming to manipulate the proton wavefunction imparting orbital angular momentum with a phase plate. Finally, a brief review of protons laser-plasma acceleration techniques as an alternative to conventional particle generation and acceleration techniques is provided.