Yingchao Du

Note: Single-shot continuously time-resolved MeV ultrafast electron diffraction

We have demonstrated single-shot continuously time-resolved MeV ultrafast electron diffraction using a static single crystal gold sample. An MeV high density electron pulse was used to probe the sample and then streaked by an rf deflecting cavity. The single-shot, high quality, streaked diffraction pattern allowed structural information within several picoseconds to be continuously temporally resolved with an approximately 200 fs resolution. The temporal resolution can be straightforwardly improved to 100 fs by increasing the streaking strength. We foresee that this system would become a powerful tool for ultrafast structural dynamics studies.

Experimental demonstration of high quality MeV ultrafast electron diffraction.

The simulation optimization and an experimental demonstration of improved performances of mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction (MeV UED) are reported in this paper. Using ultrashort high quality electron pulses from an S-band photocathode rf gun and a polycrystalline aluminum foil as the sample, we experimentally demonstrated an improved spatial resolution of MeV UED, in which the Debye-Scherrer rings of the (111) and (200) planes were clearly resolved. This result showed that MeV UED is capable to achieve an atomic level spatial resolution and a approximately 100 fs temporal resolution simultaneously, and will be a unique tool for ultrafast structural dynamics studies.

Generation of first hard X-ray pulse at Tsinghua Thomson Scattering X-ray Source

Tsinghua Thomson Scattering X-ray Source (TTX) is the first-of-its-kind dedicated hard X-ray source in China based on the Thomson scattering between a terawatt ultrashort laser and relativistic electron beams. In this paper, we report the experimental generation and characterization of the first hard X-ray pulses (51.7 keV) via head-on collision of an 800 nm laser and 46.7 MeV electron beams. The measured yield is 1.0 × 10(6) per pulse with an electron bunch charge of 200 pC and laser pulse energy of 300 mJ. The angular intensity distribution and energy spectra of the X-ray pulse are measured with an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device using a CsI scintillator and silicon attenuators. These measurements agree well with theoretical and simulation predictions. An imaging test using the X-ray pulse at the TTX is also presented.

Generating High-Brightness Electron Beams via Ionization Injection by Transverse Colliding Lasers in a Plasma-Wakefield Accelerator

The production of ultrabright electron bunches using ionization injection triggered by two transversely colliding laser pulses inside a beam-driven plasma wake is examined via three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The relatively low intensity lasers are polarized along the wake axis and overlap with the wake for a very short time. The result is that the residual momentum of the ionized electrons in the transverse plane of the wake is reduced, and the injection is localized along the propagation axis of the wake. This minimizes both the initial thermal emittance and the emittance growth due to transverse phase mixing. Simulations show that ultrashort (~8 fs) high-current (0.4 kA) electron bunches with a normalized emittance of 8.5 and 6 nm in the two planes, respectively, and a brightness of 1.7×10(19) A rad(-2) m(-2) can be obtained for realistic parameters.

Phase-space dynamics of ionization injection in plasma-based accelerators.

The evolution of beam phase space in ionization injection into plasma wakefields is studied using theory and particle-in-cell simulations. The injection process involves both longitudinal and transverse phase mixing, leading initially to a rapid emittance growth followed by oscillation, decay, and a slow growth to saturation. An analytic theory for this evolution is presented and verified through particle-in-cell simulations. This theory includes the effects of injection distance (time), acceleration distance, wakefield structure, and nonlinear space charge forces, and it also shows how ultralow emittance beams can be produced using ionization injection methods.

In-line phase-contrast imaging based on Tsinghua Thomson scattering x-ray source.

Thomson scattering x-ray sources can produce ultrashort, energy tunable x-ray pulses characterized by high brightness, quasi-monochromatic, and high spatial coherence, which make it an ideal source for in-line phase-contrast imaging. We demonstrate the capacity of in-line phase-contrast imaging based on Tsinghua Thomson scattering X-ray source. Clear edge enhancement effect has been observed in the experiment.

High energy electron radiography scheme with high spatial and temporal resolution in three dimension based on a e-LINAC

We present a scheme of electron beam radiography to dynamically diagnose the high energy density (HED) matter in three orthogonal directions simultaneously based on electron Linear Accelerator. The dynamic target information such as, its profile and density could be obtained through imaging the scattered electron beam passing through the target. Using an electron bunch train with flexible time structure, a very high temporal evolution could be achieved. In this proposed scheme, it is possible to obtain 10 10 frames/second in one experimental event, and the temporal resolution can go up to 1 ps, spatial resolution to 1 µm. Successful demonstration of this concept will have a major impact for both future inertial confinement fusion science and HED physics research.

First principle measurements of thermal emittance for copper and magnesium

There are growing interests in generation, preservation and applications of high brightness electron beam. With the rapid development in the techniques for emittance compensation, laser shaping and generation of ellipsoidal beam, we are approaching the limit--the uncorrelated thermal emittance. In this paper, we describe the design of the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy for measurements of thermal emittance for Cu and Mg. The measurement is conducted in a field-free region. The energy spectrum and angular distribution of the electrons will be measured immediately after its emission and further used to reconstruct the initial phase space and the corresponding thermal emittance. We also show how cathode surface roughness and laser incidence angle as well as its polarization state affect the quantum efficiency and thermal emittance.

Diffraction based method to reconstruct the spectrum of the Thomson scattering x-ray source

As Thomson scattering x-ray sources based on the collision of intense laser and relativistic electrons have drawn much attention in various scientific fields, there is an increasing demand for the effective methods to reconstruct the spectrum information of the ultra-short and high-intensity x-ray pulses. In this paper, a precise spectrum measurement method for the Thomson scattering x-ray sources was proposed with the diffraction of a Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) crystal and was demonstrated at the Tsinghua Thomson scattering X-ray source. The x-ray pulse is diffracted by a 15 mm (L) ×15 mm (H)× 1 mm (D) HOPG crystal with 1° mosaic spread. By analyzing the diffraction pattern, both x-ray peak energies and energy spectral bandwidths at different polar angles can be reconstructed, which agree well with the theoretical value and simulation. The higher integral reflectivity of the HOPG crystal makes this method possible for single-shot measurement.

Passive energy jitter reduction in the cascaded third harmonic generation process

In free electron laser (FEL) systems with ultraviolet (UV) laser driven injectors, a highly stable UV source generated through cascaded third harmonic generation (THG) from an infrared (IR) source is a key element in guaranteeing the acceptable current jitter at the undulator. In this letter, the negative slope of the THG efficiency for high intensity ultrashort IR pulses is revealed to be a passive stabilization mechanism for energy jitter reduction in UV. A reduction of 2.5 times the energy jitter in UV is demonstrated in the experiment and simulations show that the energy jitter in UV can be reduced by more than one order of magnitude if the energy jitter in IR is less than 3%, with proper design of the THG efficiency curve, fulfilling the challenging requirement for UV laser stability in a broad scope of applications such as the photoinjector of x-ray FELs.