A setup (1, 11) to manipulate, especially to accelerate, electrically charged particles, comprising - a radiation source (5, 18) adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation, and - a first optical element (2, 12) with planar first and second faces (2a, 12a; 2b, 12b); and - a second optical element (2, 12) with planar first and second faces (2a, 12a; 2b, 12b), said first and second optical elements (2; 12) being in the form of identical objects made of the same kind of substance, wherein - said optical elements (2, 12) being arranged symmetrically with said first faces (2a, 12a) facing to and parallel with each other and defining a gap therebetween with a size that allows unobstructed passing of the particles to be manipulated between said faces, wherein - the optical elements (2, 12) and the radiation source (5, 18) being arranged in such a way that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said radiation source (5, 18) in the form of said electromagnetic pulses suffers total internal reflection at the first faces (2a, 12a) when passing through said first and second optical elements (2, 12), characterized in that - said electrically charged particles are ions, in particular protons, for hadron therapy; - said radiation source (5, 18) is a terahertz radiation source adapted to emit the electromagnetic radiation in the form of pulses with a frequency falling into the frequency range of 0.1 to 10 THz and characterized by an electric field having a peak electric field strength in the order of MV/cm, and - the substance of said optical elements (2, 12) being optically transparent over the frequency range of 0.1 to 10 THz and exhibiting large optical destruction threshold field strength and low dispersion. - a radiation source (5, 18) adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation, and - a first optical element (2, 12) with planar first and second faces (2a, 12a; 2b, 12b); and - a second optical element (2, 12) with planar first and second faces (2a, 12a; 2b, 12b), said first and second optical elements (2; 12) being in the form of identical objects made of the same kind of substance, wherein - said optical elements (2, 12) being arranged symmetrically with said first faces (2a, 12a) facing to and parallel with each other and defining a gap therebetween with a size that allows unobstructed passing of the particles to be manipulated between said faces, wherein - the optical elements (2, 12) and the radiation source (5, 18) being arranged in such a way that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said radiation source (5, 18) in the form of said electromagnetic pulses suffers total internal reflection at the first faces (2a, 12a) when passing through said first and second optical elements (2, 12), characterized in that - said electrically charged particles are ions, in particular protons, for hadron therapy; - said radiation source (5, 18) is a terahertz radiation source adapted to emit the electromagnetic radiation in the form of pulses with a frequency falling into the frequency range of 0.1 to 10 THz and characterized by an electric field having a peak electric field strength in the order of MV/cm, and - the substance of said optical elements (2, 12) being optically transparent over the frequency range of 0.1 to 10 THz and exhibiting large optical destruction threshold field strength and low dispersion.