Scientists from the Stanford and SLAC have developed a laser-driven particle accelerator that fits on a tiny silicon chip and that could eventually be scaled up to create a beam with as much energy as SLAC’s. A team of scientists created a nanoscale channel out of silicon, sealed it in a vacuum, and transmitted electrons through this cavity while vibrations of infrared light. Scientists believe they could develop this scaled-up chip within a year, but that it may be about five years before the device can be used in practical applications, and even longer before it finds its way into medicinal practices.