G. Travish

Demonstration of electron acceleration in a laser-driven dielectric microstructure

The enormous size and cost of current state-of-the-art accelerators based on conventional radio-frequency technology has spawned great interest in the development of new acceleration concepts that are more compact and economical. Micro-fabricated dielectric laser accelerators (DLAs) are an attractive approach, because such dielectric microstructures can support accelerating fields one to two orders of magnitude higher than can radio-frequency cavity-based accelerators. DLAs use commercial lasers as a power source, which are smaller and less expensive than the radio-frequency klystrons that power today’s accelerators. In addition, DLAs are fabricated via low-cost, lithographic techniques that can be used for mass production. However, despite several DLA structures having been proposed recently, no successful demonstration of acceleration in these structures has so far been shown. Here we report high-gradient (beyond 250 MeV m−1) acceleration of electrons in a DLA. Relativistic (60-MeV) electrons are energy-modulated over 563 ± 104 optical periods of a fused silica grating structure, powered by a 800-nm-wavelength mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. The observed results are in agreement with analytical models and electrodynamic simulations. By comparison, conventional modern linear accelerators operate at gradients of 10–30 MeV m−1, and the first linear radio-frequency cavity accelerator was ten radio-frequency periods (one metre) long with a gradient of approximately 1.6 MeV m−1 (ref. 5). Our results set the stage for the development of future multi-staged DLA devices composed of integrated on-chip systems. This would enable compact table-top accelerators on the MeV–GeV (106–109 eV) scale for security scanners and medical therapy, university-scale X-ray light sources for biological and materials research, and portable medical imaging devices, and would substantially reduce the size and cost of a future collider on the multi-TeV (1012 eV) scale.

Dielectric laser accelerators

We describe recent advances in the study of particle acceleration using dielectric near-field structures driven by infrared lasers, which we refer to as Dielectric Laser Accelerators. Implications for high energy physics and other applications are discussed.

Research and development toward a 4.5−1.5 Å linac coherent light source (LCLS) at SLAC

Abstract In recent years significant studies have been initiated on the feasibility of utilizing a portion of the 3 km S-band accelerator at SLAC to drive a short wavelength (4.5−1.5 A) Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a Free-Electron Laser (FEL) operating in the Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) regime. Electron beam requirements for single-pass saturation in a minimal time include: 1) a peak current in the 7 kA range, 2) a relative energy spread of e = λ 4π , where λ[m] is the output wavelength. Requirements on the insertion device include field error levels of 0.02% for keeping the electron bunch centered on and in phase with the amplified photons, and a focusing beta of 8 m/rad for inhibiting the dilution of its transverse density. Although much progress has been made in developing individual components and beam-processing techniques necessary for LCLS operation down to ∼20 A, a substantial amount of research and development is still required in a number of theoretical and experimental areas leading to the construction and operation of a 4.5−1.5 A LCLS. In this paper we report on a research and development program underway and in planning at SLAC for addressing critical questions in these areas. These include the construction and operation of a linac test stand for developing laser-driven photocathode rf guns with normalized emittances approaching 1 mm-mrad; development of advanced beam compression, stability, and emittance control techniques at multi-GeV energies; the construction and operation of a FEL Amplifier Test Experiment (FATE) for theoretical and experimental studies of SASE at IR wavelengths; an undulator development program to investigate superconducting, hybrid/permanent magnet (hybrid/PM), and pulsed-Cu technologies; theoretical and computational studies of high-gain FEL physics and LCLS component designs; development of X-ray optics and instrumentation for extracting, modulating, and delivering photons to experimental users; and the study and development of scientific experiments made possible by the source properties of the LCLS.

Bunch length measurement of picosecond electron beams from a photoinjector using coherent transition radiation

Abstract The bunch length of an electron beam derived from the UCLA Saturnus photoinjector has been measured using a 45° CTR foil. The sudden change of electrons boundary conditions cause them to radiate (transition radiation) with the spectral power entirely dependent upon the degree of coherency, which strongly relates to the beam size. A polarizing Michelson interferometer allowed measurement of the auto-correlation of the coherent transition radiation signal. An analysis method was developed to compensate for undetected low-frequency radiation and systematically extract the bunch length information for a specific beam model. This analysis allowed observation of pulse lengthening due to the space charge, as well as compression with the variation of the RF injection phase. The hypothesis of a satellite beam has been also tested using this analysis.

Initial measurements of the UCLA rf photoinjector

The 1.5 cell standing wave rf photoinjector has been operated for the past several months using a copper cathode. The photoinjector drive laser produces sub 2 ps pulses of UV (A = 266 nm) light with up to 200 p~J/pulse which generates up to 3 nC of charge. The emittance of the photoinjector was measured as a function of charge, rf launching phase, and peak accelerating field. Also, the quantum efficiency and pulse lengths of the laser beam and the electron beam were measured.

Coherent transition radiation diagnosis of electron beam microbunching

Abstract The action of the free-electron laser instability (FEL) on an electron beam produces a longitudinal density modulation with a periodicity near the resonant radiation wavelength. This modulation, which can produce femtosecond or shorter microbunches inside of a macroscopic picosecond electron pulse, has been proposed for use as a prebunching injector for both higher harmonic FELs and short wavelength accelerators. Standard methods involving streak cameras or beam sweeping with dipole mode cavities will certainly fail to provide information about this longitudinal microstructure, however. In this paper we explore the use of coherent transition radiation generated from a foil at the exit of an FEL undulator to diagnose both the longitudinal and transverse electron microbunch structure.

The SLAC soft X-ray high power FEL

We discuss the design and performance of a 2 to 4 nm FEL operating in Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE), using a photoinjector to produce the electron beam, and the SLAC linac to accelerate it to an energy of about 7 GeV. Longitudinal bunch compression is used to increase the peak current to 2.5 kA, while reducing the bunch length to about 40 μm. The FEL field gain length is about 6 m, and the saturation length is about 60 m. The saturated output power is about 10 GW, corresponding to about 1014 photons in a single pulse in a bandwidth of about 0.1%, with a pulse duration of 0.16 ps. Length compression, emittance control, phase stability, FEL design criteria, and parameter tolerances are discussed.

Performance characteristics, optimization, and error tolerances of a 4 nm FEL based on the SLAC linac

A 4 nm free electron laser (FEL) operating in Self Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE), and using the SLAC linac as a driver has been extensively studied using the FRED3D and TDA3D codes. Using a 7 GeV beam with a normalized RMS emittance of 3 mm-mrad and a peak current of 2500 A, obtained by longitudinal bunch compression, the FEL can provide about 20 GWatt of peak power, in a subpicosecond pulse. The FEL saturation length is about 60 m. Strong focusing in both planes is provided throughout the undulator by a FODO quadrupole system. We have studied the system gain, its optimization and FEL tolerance to beam parameter changes, wiggler errors and misalignments.<<ETX>>

Space-charge oscillations in a self-modulated electron beam in multi-undulator free-electron lasers

We examine here the oscillation of electron-beam density perturbations (longitudinal plasma oscillations) produced at the exit of a high-gain free-electron laser (FEL) by the action of the FEL instability. These oscillations, which are analyzed in the case of both a free-space drift and a dispersive section, can degrade the bunching of the beam in the drift between undulator sections in multi-stage FELs. The impact of these oscillations on the gain of an FEL in an undulator following such a drift, as well as the case of an optical klystron is studied.

Initial operation of the UCLA plane wave transformer (PWT) linac

We report on the initial operation of a novel compact rf linac-the plane wave transformer (PWT). The PWT is a 42 cm long, 8 cell standing-wave structure, operated at S-band, in a /spl pi/-mode. We present the properties of this linac at rf power levels from 4 MW to 8 MW and beam energy from 7 MeV to 10 MeV, measured initially using both dark current and photo-electrons. Some technical issues associated with the operation are discussed. Future improvements of the PWT, using a modified design, are also studied.