Infrared free electron laser measurement of the photon drag effect in P-silicon

We report the use of FELIX (free electron laser for infrared experiments) to study photon drag in p-silicon over the wavelength range 25–80μm. Previous ‘spot’ measurements using a pulsed water vapour laser had indicated high response at 28 and 33μm associated with transitions within the valence band. These earlier results have been confirmed and the main futures of the extended photon drag spectrum are also explainable by reference to the valence band structure. A practical outcome of the experiment is the design of a subnanosecond response time detector to observe the 1GHz frequency micropulse output from FELIX.     

Infrared free electron laser measurement of the photon drag effect in P-silicon

We report the use of FELIX (free electron laser for infrared experiments) to study photon drag in p-silicon over the wavelength range 25–80m. Previous spot measurements using a pulsed water vapour laser had indicated high response at 28 and 33m associated with transitions within the valence band. These earlier results have been confirmed and the main futures of the extended photon drag spectrum are also explainable by reference to the valence band structure. A practical outcome of the experiment is the design of a subnanosecond response time detector to observe the 1GHz frequency micropulse output from FELIX.     

Subpicosecond electro-optic measurement of relativistic electron pulses

Time-resolved measurements of the transverse electric field associated with relativistic electron bunches are presented. Using an ultrafast electro-optic sensor close to the electron beam, the longitudinal profile of the electric field was measured with subpicosecond time resolution and without time-reversal ambiguity. Results are shown for two cases: inside the vacuum beam line in the presence of wake fields, and in air behind a beryllium window, effectively probing the near-field transition radiation. Especially in the latter case, reconstruction of the longitudinal electron bunch shape is straightforward.     

Intracavity filtering of the spectrum of a short-pulse FEL byinducing interpulse phase coherence

The number of active cavity modes in the short-pulse free-electron laser FELIX was reduced by a factor of 40 at a constant level of the saturated power. This was achieved by inducing phase-coherence between the 40 optical micropulses that are independently amplified at 1 GHz in the 25-MHz cavity. A 1-GHz Fox-Smith intracavity etalon was used to this aim. The resulting spectrum consists of a comb of frequencies that are spaced by 1 GHz. Based on a CW frequency analysis of the coupled cavities we predict that the individual frequencies have a linewidth of 170 kHz. The stability of the selected frequencies was analyzed. Mode hopping over 25 MHz was occasionally observed between macropulses of the laser, but not actually during the macropulse. Simulations by means of a simple pulse evolution model corroborated this behavior. We show that the comb of resonant frequencies can be scanned over a range of 1 GHz by scanning the length of the intracavity etalon. The work presented here gives the theoretical and experimental background of single-linewidth experiments that will be described in a separate paper. The latter experiments concern the selective transmission of a single cavity mode from the phase-locked signal by means of external etalons. This single line should be narrow, stable, and continuously tunable for high-power high-resolution experiments in the far-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum     

Coherent spontaneous emission and spontaneous phase locking in afree-electron laser

We present measurements that demonstrate the existence of spontaneous coherence between independently generated laser pulses in the FELIX free-electron laser. The experiments show that the interpulse coherence is caused by a high level of coherently enhanced spontaneous emission. We have been able to manipulate the level of interpulse coherence by changing the settings of the electron accelerating system. The shape of the electron bunches critically determines the amount of coherent emission. Results of simulations of the acceleration process are used to discuss the influence of the accelerator parameters on the electron bunch shape. The experimentally determined correlation function of the laser pulses is reproduced by a simple pulse-evolution model. Thereby, an estimate of the timing jitter of the RF accelerating system is obtained