Experimental characterization of nonlinear harmonic radiation from a visible self-amplified spontaneous emission free-electron laser at saturation

Nonlinear harmonic radiation was observed using the VISA self-amplified, spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) at saturation. The gain lengths, spectra, and energies of the three lowest SASE FEL modes were experimentally characterized. The measured nonlinear harmonic gain lengths and center spectral wavelengths decrease with harmonic number, n, which is consistent with nonlinear harmonic theory. Both the second and third nonlinear harmonics energies are about 1% of the fundamental energy. These experimental results demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of using nonlinear harmonic SASE FEL radiation to produce coherent, femtosecond x rays.     

Output power and degree of transverse coherence of X-ray free electron lasers

The explicit solution of the initial value problem is obtained for a SASE FEL (self-amplified spontaneous emission free electron laser) operating with a large ratio of electron beam emittance to the reduced wavelength, . The output power and the degree of transverse coherence are explicitly calculated for a high-gain linear regime. The degree of coherence is shown to be dependent on the ratio of the number of FEL gain lengths to the parameter . In particular, in the multi-mode limit the radiation from a SASE FEL has by the squared number of gain lengths higher degree of transverse coherence than a synchrotron radiation generated by a beam with the same emittance. An estimate for the degree of coherence of the radiation from X-ray SASE FEL at saturation is presented.     

Harmonics in a Quantum Free Electron Laser: Towards a compact, coherent γ-ray source

Short-wavelength Free Electron Lasers (FELs), which have recently produced intense, hard X-rays are currently based on the concept of classical Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE). In order to extend the production of intense, coherent radiation to sub-Å wavelengths then an alternative to the conventional SASE-FEL concept will be necessary, as conventional SASE-FELs require long wigglers (~ 100 m) and large accelerators (~ km) and produce radiation which has poor temporal coherence. Recently, we have introduced the concept of the Quantum Free Electron Laser (QFEL). The QFEL is characterised by quantised electron momentum recoil and the emission of monochromatic, coherent radiation from a compact apparatus. This makes it appealing for applications requiring a high degree of temporal coherence. We show that a SASE-QFEL may offer the possibility to produce intense, coherent γ-rays via harmonic generation. This has the potential to open up new applications e.g. coherent interactions involving nuclear transitions.     

Possible application of X-ray optical elements for reducing the spectral bandwidth of an X-ray SASE FEL

A new design for a single pass X-ray Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) FEL is proposed. The scheme consists of two undulators and an X-ray monochromator located between them. The first stage of the FEL amplifier operates in the SASE linear regime. After the exit of the first undulator the electron bunch is guided through a non-isochronous bypass and the X-ray beam enters the monochromator. The main function of the bypass is to suppress the modulation of the electron beam induced in the first undulator. This is possible because of the finite value of the natural energy spread in the beam. At the entrance to the second undulator the radiation power from the monochromator dominates significantly over the shot noise and the residual electron bunching. As a result the second stage of the FEL amplifier operates in the steady-state regime when the input signal bandwidth is small with respect to that of the FEL amplifier. Integral losses of the radiation power in the monochromator are relatively small because grazing incidence optics can be used. The proposed scheme is illustrated for the example of the 6 nm option SASE FEL at the TESLA Test Facility under construction at DESY. As shown in this paper the spectral bandwidth of such a two-stage SASE FEL (Δλ/λ 5 × 10⁻⁵) is close to the limit defined by the finite duration of the radiation pulse. The average brilliance is equal to 7 × 10²⁴ photons/(s × mrad² × mm² × 0.1% bandw.) which is by two orders of magnitude higher than the value which could be reached by the conventional SASE FEL. The monochromatization of the radiation is performed at a low level of radiation power (about 500 times less than the saturation level) which allows one to use conventional X-ray optical elements (grazing incidence grating and mirrors) for the monochromator design.     

Generation of GW radiation pulses from a VUV free-electron laser operating in the femtosecond regime

Experimental results are presented from vacuum-ultraviolet free-electron laser (FEL) operating in the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) mode. The generation of ultrashort radiation pulses became possible due to specific tailoring of the bunch charge distribution. A complete characterization of the linear and nonlinear modes of the SASE FEL operation was performed. At saturation the FEL produces ultrashort pulses (30-100 fs FWHM) with a peak radiation power in the GW level and with full transverse coherence. The wavelength was tuned in the range of 95-105 nm.     

SASE自由电子激光

 SASE自由电子激光可以产生短至0.1nm的高亮度（峰值亮度比当前的第三代同步辐射高10个量级;平均亮度高3~5个量级）、短脉冲（脉冲长度小于2个量级、达到亚皮秒水平）硬X射线相干光。因而被称为是继第三代同步辐射之后的第四代光源。SASE依据的是高增益自由电子激光原理,利用了光阴极微波电子枪技术和电子直线加速器技术。综述了SASE的历史发展、基本原理、基本结构、主要物理特征和对电子束的要求。     

Generation of doublet spectral lines at self-seeded X-ray FELs

Self-seeding schemes, consisting of two undulators with a monochromator in between, aim to reduce the bandwidth of SASE X-ray FELs. We recently proposed to use a new method of monochromatization exploiting a single crystal in Bragg transmission geometry for self-seeding in the hard X-ray range. The obvious and technically possible extension is to use such kind of monochromator setup with two (or more) crystals arranged in a series to spectrally filter the SASE radiation at two (or more) closely-spaced wavelengths within the FEL gain band. This allows for the production of doublet (or multiplet) spectral lines. Exploitations of such mode of operation involve any situation where there is a large change in cross-section over a narrow wavelength range. In this paper we consider the simultaneous operation of the LCLS hard X-ray FEL at two closely spaced wavelengths. We present simulation results for the LCLS baseline, and we show that this method can produce fully coherent radiation shared between two longitudinal modes. Mode spacing can be easily tuned within the FEL gain band, i.e. within 10 eV. An interesting aspect of the proposed scheme is a way of modulating the electron bunch at optical frequencies without a seed quantum laser. In fact, the XFEL output intensity contains an oscillating “mode-beat” component whose frequency is related to the frequency difference between the pair of longitudinal modes considered. Thus, at saturation one obtains FEL-induced modulations of energy loss and energy spread in the electron bunch at optical frequency. These modulations can be converted into density modulation at the same optical frequency with the help of a weak chicane installed behind the baseline undulator. Powerful coherent radiation can then be generated with the help of an optical transition radiation (OTR) station, which have important applications. In this paper we briefly consider how the doublet structure of the XFEL generation spectra can be monitored by an optical spectrometer. Furthermore, the OTR coherent radiation pulse is naturally synchronized with the X-ray pulses, and can be used for timing the XFEL to high power conventional lasers with femtosecond accuracy for pump-probe applications.     

First Observation of z-Dependent Electron-Beam Microbunching Using Coherent Transition Radiation

We report the first measurements of the electron-beam microbunching z dependence in a self-amplified spontaneous-emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) experiment by the observation of visible wavelength coherent transition radiation (CTR). In this case the fundamental SASE wavelength was at 537 nm, and the CTR exhibited an exponential intensity growth similar to the SASE radiation. In addition, we observed for the first time structure in the CTR angular distribution patterns that may be useful for optimizing SASE FEL performance.     

A high-harmonic generation source for seeding a free-electron laser at 38 nm

Direct seeding with a high-harmonic generation (HHG) source can improve the spectral, temporal, and coherence properties of a free-electron laser (FEL) and shall reduce intensity and arrival-time fluctuations. In the seeding experiment sFLASH at the extreme ultraviolet FEL in Hamburg FLASH, which operates in the self-amplified spontaneous emission mode (SASE), the 21st harmonic of an 800 nm laser is refocused into a dedicated seeding undulator. For seeding, the external light field has to overcome the noise level of SASE; therefore, an efficient coupling between seed pulse and electron bunch is mandatory. Thus, an HHG beam with a proper divergence, width, beam quality, Rayleigh length, pointing stability, single-shot pulse energy, and stability in the 21st harmonic is needed. Here, we present the setup of the HHG source that seeds sFLASH at 38.1 nm, the optimization procedures, and the necessary diagnostics.     

Spectroscopic characterization of vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser pulses

Because of the stochastic nature of self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE), it is crucial to measure for single pulses the spectral characteristics of ultrashort pulses from the vacuum ultraviolet free electron laser (FLASH) at DESY, Germany. To meet this particular challenge, we have employed both photon and photoelectron spectroscopy. Each FEL pulse is composed of an intense and spectrally complex fundamental, centered at a photon energy of about 38.5 eV, with a bandwidth of 0.5% accompanied by higher harmonics, each carrying an intensity of typically 0.3 to 0.6% of that of the fundamental. The correlation between the harmonics and the fundamental is in remarkable agreement with a simple statistical model of SASE FEL radiation.     

Generation of Coherent Radiation in the Near X-Ray Band by a Cascade FEL with a Two-Frequency Undulator

Generation of X-ray radiation in a cascade self-amplified spontaneous emission free-electron laser (SASE FEL) using the harmonics of a two-frequency undulator is studied. The advanced phenomenological model of a one-pass FEL that accounts for the main losses in real FELs is presented: the electron energy spread in the beam, the beam divergence, diffraction, and the fact that emission losses are greater at higher harmonics than in the main frequency range. The FEL mathematical model was performed using the Mathematica software and calibrated within the experiment carried out at the operating SPARC facility via complex three-dimensional numerical simulations. The phenomenological model is used to analyze FEL dynamics for generation of a high-energy X-ray emission at a relatively short length. It is proposed to use a two-frequency undulator for the initial electron grouping and subsequent frequency multiplication in a cascade FEL with higher harmonic amplification (HGHG). The advantages of the two-frequency undulator are presented for electron grouping at higher harmonics of the undulator radiation (UR). The operation of several types of FEL is simulated with amplification of the seed laser wave frequency in two and three cascades to generate the soft X-ray radiation. A seed laser with a wavelength of 11.43 nm corresponding to the peak reflectivity of mirror coatings with MoRu/Be is proposed for generating the intensive X-ray laser radiation with λ ~ 1.27–3.37 nm. Here, the intensive radiation power reaches 50 MW at a length of only 35 meters; the radiation shows good temporal coherence corresponding to the performance of a low-power seed laser with a lower frequency.     

Classical and quantum self amplified spontaneous emission in a high gain free electron laser

We describe the quantum theory and the photon statistics of self amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) in a high gain free electron laser (FEL) using Glauber's quantum theory of coherence. We generalize a previous theory by taking into account many-mode effects and the initiation process resulting from classical shot noise, quantum noise, an injected coherent field and coherent bunching. In particular, we define the concept of quantum SASE which is appropriate when the initial quantum fluctuations dominate over the classical shot noise. We also discuss the conditions for the observation. Quantum SASE is a new quantum phenomenon in which the single electron uncertainty fluctuations of the conjugate variables position and momentum produce exponential amplification of the vacuum field.     

磁压缩对高频稳定性的要求

 曲柄式磁压缩系统是北京大学SASE自由电子激光装置中非常重要的部分,通过其对电子束团的压缩为扭摆器提供高流强、短脉冲的电子束,使电子束在扭摆器内较短的距离实现饱和出光。曲柄式磁压缩需要利用偏离高频峰位的加速相位使得电子束产生能量-位置关联,主要讨论高频相位抖动与能量-位置关联的相互关系,高频相位抖动使得束团的能量-位置关联不同,即束团内电子能量随位置分布不同。进而研究其对磁压缩性能的影响,即能量-位置关联不一样会导致磁压缩得到的束团长度出现涨落。     

Fully coherent x-ray pulses from a regenerative-amplifier free-electron laser

We propose and analyze a regenerative-amplifier free-electron laser (FEL) to produce fully coherent, hard x-ray pulses. The method makes use of narrow-bandwidth Bragg crystals to form an x-ray feedback loop around a relatively short undulator. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) from the leading electron bunch in a bunch train is spectrally filtered by the Bragg reflectors and is brought back to the beginning of the undulator to interact repeatedly with subsequent bunches in the bunch train. The FEL interaction with these short bunches regeneratively amplifies the radiation intensity and broadens its spectrum, allowing for effective transmission of the x rays outside the crystal bandwidth. The spectral brightness of these x-ray pulses is about 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than that from a single-pass SASE FEL.     

交叉型波荡器软X射线自由电子激光极化控制的影响因素

 交叉型波荡器是一种实现软X射线自由电子激光极化控制的有效方式。以自放大自发辐射自由光电子激光为例,采用统计的方法系统地分析了交叉型波荡器软X射线自由电子激光极化控制的影响因素。通过对光场相干长度、光脉冲两分量之间相对滑移长度和光场分量平均功率差异等的分析,给出了优化交叉型波荡器极化控制方案遵循的原则,即：辐射场相干时间尽可能长,光场分量相对滑移长度尽可能短,辐射场分量功率差异尽可能小等。该原则为交叉型波荡器软X射线自由电子激光极化控制方案的优化提供了依据。     

Characterization of a chaotic optical field using a high-gain, self-amplified free-electron laser

We report on a characterization of the chaotic optical field from a high-gain, self-amplified spontaneous-emission (SASE) free-electron laser. The temporal structure of the amplitude and phase are measured in a single-shot mode, with a resolution well below the coherence length, and the statistics over multiple pulses is determined. The measurement is in excellent quantitative agreement with the prediction based on analysis of random noise, and further verifies the chaotic nature of the SASE optical field.     

Optimization considerations for a SASE free electron laser based on a superconducting undulator

A self amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free electron laser (FEL) based on a new generation superconducting planar undulator, is optimized. It is shown that the laser wavelength should be down to soft X-rays range (～2–3 nm) of the spectrum via a dedicated undulator driven by a 1 GeV electron linear accelerator (linac). Numerical calculations and simulation results of the three main performance parameters for SASE operation, namely 1D gain length (L_G,1D), saturation power (P_sat) and saturation length (L_sat), are compared and discussed.     

Development of FEL and SASE in the far-infrared region at ISIR, Osaka University

Free electron laser (FEL) and self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) are being developed in the far-infrared region using the L-band electron linac at the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (ISIR), Osaka University. The L-band linac was recently remodeled extensively not only for higher operational stability and reproducibility but also for high power operation of FEL. After commissioning of the linac, we first began SASE experiment with a newly-developed strong-focusing wiggler. Recently we began FEL experiment and obtained lasing with the high peak power at 70 μm again after a long break.     

First observation of self-amplified spontaneous emission in a free-electron laser at 109 nm wavelength

We present the first observation of self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) in a free-electron laser (FEL) in the vacuum ultraviolet regime at 109 nm wavelength (11 eV). The observed free-electron laser gain (approximately 3000) and the radiation characteristics, such as dependency on bunch charge, angular distribution, spectral width, and intensity fluctuations, are all consistent with the present models for SASE FELs.     

SASE自由电子激光起振问题及统计特性的数值模拟

 介绍一种自放大自发辐射自由电子激光（SASE FEL）的自发辐射和电子束噪声的数学描述，运用修正的一维非定态程序，对SASE FEL 起振问题及光场统计特性进行了数值模拟，分析了自发辐射谱的发展过程及一定频带宽度内光场随机特性的统计规律，数值模拟结果与理论结果符合较好。