Electron Bunch Timing with Femtosecond Precision in a Superconducting Free-Electron Laser

Journal Article · Fri Apr 09 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.104.144801· OSTI ID:21410630

Loehl, F; Arsov, V; Felber, M; Hacker, K; Lorbeer, B; Ludwig, F; Matthiesen, K -H; Schlarb, H; Schmidt, B; Winter, A ^[1]; Jalmuzna, W ^[2]; Schmueser, P; Schulz, S; Zemella, J ^[3]; Szewinski, J ^[4]

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1. Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg (Germany)
2. Technical University of Lodz, al. Politechniki 11, 93-590 Lodz (Poland)
3. University of Hamburg, Institute of Experimental Physics, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg (Germany)
4. The Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, Otwock-Swierk 05-400 (Poland)

High-gain free-electron lasers (FELs) are capable of generating femtosecond x-ray pulses with peak brilliances many orders of magnitude higher than at other existing x-ray sources. In order to fully exploit the opportunities offered by these femtosecond light pulses in time-resolved experiments, an unprecedented synchronization accuracy is required. In this Letter, we distributed the pulse train of a mode-locked fiber laser with femtosecond stability to different locations in the linear accelerator of the soft x-ray FEL FLASH. A novel electro-optic detection scheme was applied to measure the electron bunch arrival time with an as yet unrivaled precision of 6 fs (rms). With two beam-based feedback systems we succeeded in stabilizing both the arrival time and the electron bunch compression process within two magnetic chicanes, yielding a significant reduction of the FEL pulse energy jitter.

• OSTI ID: 21410630
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 14; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.144801; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
ACCURACY
BEAM BUNCHING
DETECTION
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
FREE ELECTRON LASERS
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
PULSED IRRADIATION
SOFT X RADIATION
STABILITY
SYNCHRONIZATION
TIME RESOLUTION
VISIBLE RADIATION
X-RAY SOURCES
ACCELERATORS
BEAM DYNAMICS
BEAMS
DYNAMICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
LASERS
LEPTON BEAMS
LEPTONS
MECHANICS
PARTICLE BEAMS
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIATIONS
RESOLUTION
TIMING PROPERTIES
X RADIATION