Optimization and beam dynamics of a superconducting radio-frequency gun

Recent advances in superconducting radio-frequency (RF) technology and a better understanding of RF photoinjector design optimization make it possible to propose a specific design for a superconducting RF gun that can simultaneously produce both ultra-high peak brightness and high average current. Such a device is a critical component of next generation X-ray sources, such as self-amplified spontaneous emission free-electron lasers (SASE FEL) and energy recovery linac-based systems. The design presented in this paper is scaled from the present state-of-the-art normal conducting RF photoinjector that has been studied in the context of the linac coherent light source and SPARC SASE FEL injection schemes. Issues specific to the superconducing RF photoinjector, such as accelerating gradient limit, RF cavity and cryostat design, and compatibility with magnetic focusing and laser excitation of a photocathode are discussed

Multiphoton photoemission from a copper cathode illuminated by ultrashort laser pulses in an RF photoinjector.

In this Letter we report on the use of ultrashort infrared laser pulses to generate a copious amount of electrons by a copper cathode in an rf photoinjector. The charge yield verifies the generalized Fowler-Dubridge theory for multiphoton photoemission. The emission is verified to be prompt using a two pulse autocorrelation technique. The thermal emittance associated with the excess kinetic energy from the emission process is comparable with the one measured using frequency tripled uv laser pulses. In the high field of the rf gun, up to 50 pC of charge can be extracted from the cathode using a 80 fs long, 2\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{J}, 800 nm pulse focused to a 140\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m} rms spot size. Taking into account the efficiency of harmonic conversion, illuminating a cathode directly with ir laser pulses can be the most efficient way to employ the available laser power

Breaking the Attosecond, Angstrom and TV/M Field Barriers with Ultra-Fast Electron Beams

Recent initiatives at UCLA concerning ultra-short, GeV electron beam generation have been aimed at achieving sub-fs pulses capable of driving X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) in single-spike mode. This use of very low Q beams may allow existing FEL injectors to produce few-100 attosecond pulses, with very high brightness. Towards this end, recent experiments at the LCLS have produced {approx}2 fs, 20 pC electron pulses. We discuss here extensions of this work, in which we seek to exploit the beam brightness in FELs, in tandem with new developments in cryogenic undulator technology, to create compact accelerator-undulator systems that can lase below 0.15 {angstrom}, or be used to permit 1.5 {angstrom} operation at 4.5 GeV. In addition, we are now developing experiments which use the present LCLS fs pulses to excite plasma wakefields exceeding 1 TV/m, permitting a table-top TeV accelerator for frontier high energy physics applications

High Frequency, High Gradient Dielectric Wakefield Acceleration Experiments at SLAC and BNL

Given the recent success of >GV/m dielectric wakefield accelerator (DWA) breakdown experiments at SLAC, and follow-on coherent Cerenkov radiation production at the UCLA Neptune, a UCLA-USC-SLAC collaboration is now implementing a new set of experiments that explore various DWA scenarios. These experiments are motivated by the opportunities presented by the approval of FACET facility at SLAC, as well as unique pulse-train wakefield drivers at BNL. The SLAC experiments permit further exploration of the multi-GeV/m envelope in DWAs, and will entail investigations of novel materials (e.g. CVD diamond) and geometries (Bragg cylindrical structures, slab-symmetric DWAs), and have an over-riding goal of demonstrating >GeV acceleration in {approx}33 cm DWA tubes. In the nearer term before FACET's commissioning, we are planning measurements at the BNL ATF, in which we drive {approx}50-200 MV/m fields with single pulses or pulse trains. These experiments are of high relevance to enhancing linear collider DWA designs, as they will demonstrate potential for efficient operation with pulse trains

Slippage, noise and superradiant effects in the UCLA FEL experiment

Abstract We present the results of numerical calculations of the effects of noise, slippage and superradiance in the UCLA infrared (IR) free electron laser (FEL). The experiment, which uses a high brightness electron beam produced by a photocathode RF gun and a 1.5 cm period planar undulator, will compare the FEL evolution starting from noise to that starting from an input signal. Numerical studies indicate that we can observe saturation, optical guiding effects and a superradiant spike

An ultra-high brightness, high duty factor, superconducting RF photoinjector

Recent advances in superconducting rf technology and a better understanding of rf photoinjector design make possible to propose a superconducting rf gun producing beams with ultra-high peak brightness and high average current. The superconducting rf photoinjector presented here providing such high quality beam is scaled from the present state-of-the-art of normal conducting rf photoinjector that has been studied for LCLS SASE FEL

The UCLA helical permanent-magnet inverse free electron laser

The Inverse Free Electron Laser (IFEL) is capable, in principle, of reaching accelerating gradients of up to 1 GV/m making it a prospective accelerator scheme for linear colliders. The Neptune IFEL at UCLA utilizes a 15 MeV Photoinjector-generated electron beam of 0.5 nC and a CO2 laser with peak energy of up to 100 J, and will be able to accelerate electrons to 100 MeV over an 80 cm long, novel helical permanent-magnet undulator. Past IFELs have been limited in their average accelerating gradient due to the Gouy phase shift caused by tight focusing of the drive laser. Here, laser guiding is implemented via an innovative Open Iris-Loaded Structure (OILS) waveguide scheme which ensures that the laser mode size and wave front are conserved through the undulator. The results of the first phase of the experiment are discussed in this paper, including the design and construction of a short micro-bunching undulator, testing of the OILS waveguide, as well as the results of corresponding simulations

TDA3D: Updates and improvements to the widely used three-dimensional free electron laser simulation

Abstract TDA3D is a widely distributed and often used Free Electron Laser (FEL) simulation code. While a number of versions of TDA exist, this paper describes the official version which is well tested and supported. We describe the capabilities of the code emphasizing recent improvements and revisions. TDA3D is a steady-state (time-independent) amplifier code. The code self-consistently solves, after averaging over a wiggler period, the paraxial wave equation for the radiation field and the Lorentz equations of motion for the electrons. The paraxial wave equation includes diffraction and optical guiding. The calculation of the electron beam motion takes into account longitudinal bunching and transverse betatron oscillations, so that emittance, energy spread, and external focusing can be properly modeled. Recent additions to the simulation include the ability to model natural wiggler focusing in one or both planes, alternating gradient quadrupoles or sextupoles, and ion channels. The initial loading of the electron distribution can be controlled to allow for matching into focusing channels, improved quiet starts (non-correlated phase-space distributions), and arbitrary energy spread

Novel Dual Beam Cascaded Schemes for 346 GHz Harmonic-Enhanced TWTs

The applications of terahertz (THz) devices in communication, imaging, and plasma diagnostic are limited by the lack of high-power, miniature, and low-cost THz sources. To develop high-power THz source, the high-harmonic traveling wave tube (HHTWT) is introduced, which is based on the theory that electron beam modulated by electromagnetic (EM) waves can generate high harmonic signals. The principal analysis and simulation results prove that amplifying high harmonic signal is a promising method to realize high-power THz source. For further improvement of power and bandwidth, two novel dual-beam schemes for high-power 346 GHz TWTs are proposed. The first TWT is comprised of two cascaded slow wave structures (SWSs), among which one SWS can generate a THz signal by importing a millimeter-wave signal and the other one can amplify THz signal of interest. The simulation results show that the output power exceeds 400 mW from 340 GHz to 348 GHz when the input power is 200 mW from 85 GHz to 87 GHz. The peak power of 1100 mW is predicted at 346 GHz. The second TWT is implemented by connecting a pre-amplification section to the input port of the HHTWT. The power of 600 mW is achieved from 338 GHz to 350 GHz. The 3-dB bandwidth is 16.5 GHz. In brief, two novel schemes have advantages in peak power and bandwidth, respectively. These two dual-beam integrated schemes, constituted respectively by two TWTs, also feature rugged structure, reliable performance, and low costs, and can be considered as promising high-power THz sources

Novel Dual Beam Cascaded Schemes for 346 GHz Harmonic-Enhanced TWTs

The applications of terahertz (THz) devices in communication, imaging, and plasma diagnostic are limited by the lack of high-power, miniature, and low-cost THz sources. To develop high-power THz source, the high-harmonic traveling wave tube (HHTWT) is introduced, which is based on the theory that electron beam modulated by electromagnetic (EM) waves can generate high harmonic signals. The principal analysis and simulation results prove that amplifying high harmonic signal is a promising method to realize high-power THz source. For further improvement of power and bandwidth, two novel dual-beam schemes for high-power 346 GHz TWTs are proposed. The first TWT is comprised of two cascaded slow wave structures (SWSs), among which one SWS can generate a THz signal by importing a millimeter-wave signal and the other one can amplify THz signal of interest. The simulation results show that the output power exceeds 400 mW from 340 GHz to 348 GHz when the input power is 200 mW from 85 GHz to 87 GHz. The peak power of 1100 mW is predicted at 346 GHz. The second TWT is implemented by connecting a pre-amplification section to the input port of the HHTWT. The power of 600 mW is achieved from 338 GHz to 350 GHz. The 3-dB bandwidth is 16.5 GHz. In brief, two novel schemes have advantages in peak power and bandwidth, respectively. These two dual-beam integrated schemes, constituted respectively by two TWTs, also feature rugged structure, reliable performance, and low costs, and can be considered as promising high-power THz sources