• F. Zhou, C. Adolphsen, Y.T. Ding, Z. Li, A.E. Vlieks
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California

SLAC is studying the feasibility of using an X-band RF photocathode gun to produce low emittance bunches for applications such as an MeV gamma source (in collaboration with LLNL) and an injector for a compact FEL. Systematic beam dynamics study are being done for a 5.5 cell X-band gun followed by several 53 cm long high-gradient X-band accelerator structures. A fully 3D program, ImpactT*, is used to track particles taking into account space charge forces, short-range longitudinal and transverse wakefields and the 3D rf fields in the structures, including the quadrupole component of the couplers. The effect of misalignments of the various elements (drive-laser, gun, solenoid and accelerator structures) are being evaluated. This paper presents these results and estimates of the expected bunch emittance versus bunch charge and cathode gradient.

*Ji Qiang, LBNL-62326, January 25, 2007.

• A. Brachmann, F.-J. Decker, Y.T. Ding, D. Dowell, P. Emma, J.C. Frisch, A. Gilevich, G.R. Hays, P. Hering, Z. Huang, R.H. Iverson, H. Loos, A. Miahnahri, D. Nordlund, H.-D. Nuhn, P.A. Pianetta, J.L. Turner, J.J. Welch, W.E. White, J. Wu, D. Xiang
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California

Surface characterization of the LCLS RF gun cathode A. Brachmann On behalf of the LCLS commissioning team The first copper cathode installed in the LCLS RF gun was used during LCLS commissioning for more than a year. However, after high charge operation (~ 500 pC), the cathode showed a decline of quantum efficiency due to surface contamination caused by residual ionized gas species present in the vacuum system. We report results of SEM, XPS and XAS studies that were carried out on this cathode after it was removed from the gun. X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal surface contamination by various hydrocarbon compounds. In addition we report on the performance of the second installed cathode with emphasis on the spatial distribution of electron emission.

• J.C. Frisch, C. Bostedt, J.D. Bozek, A. Brachmann, R.N. Coffee, F.-J. Decker, Y.T. Ding, D. Dowell, P. Emma, A. Gilevich, G. Haller, G.R. Hays, P. Hering, B.L. Hill, Z. Huang, R.H. Iverson, E.P. Kanter, B. Kraessig, H. Loos, A. Miahnahri, H.-D. Nuhn, A. Perazzo, M. Petree, D.F. Ratner, T.J. Smith, S.H. Southworth, J.L. Turner, J.J. Welch, W.E. White, J. Wu, L. Young
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• R.B. Wilcox
  LBNL, Berkeley, California

In addition to its normal operation at 250pC, the LCLS has operated with 20pC bunches delivering X-ray beams to users with energies between 800eV and 2 keV and with bunch lengths below 10 fs FWHM. A bunch arrival time monitor and timing transmission system provide users with sub 100 fs synchronization between a laser and the X-rays for pump / probe experiments. We describe the performance and operational experience of the LCLS for short bunch experiments.

• H. Geng, Y.T. Ding, Z. Huang
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• R. Bartolini
  Diamond, Oxfordshire
• D.J. Dunning, N. Thompson
  STFC/DL/ASTeC, Daresbury, Warrington, Cheshire

The crossed-planar undulator is a promising scheme for full polarization control in an x-ray FEL*. For SASE FELs, it has been shown a maximum degree of circular polarization of about 80% is achievable**. In this paper, we study the effectiveness of a cross undulator for a seeded x-ray FEL. The degree of circular polarization for both the fundamental and the harmonic radiation are considered.

* K.-J. Kim, Nucl. Instrum. Methods A445, 329 (2000).
** Y. Ding, Z. Huang, Phys. Rev. ST-AB 11, 030702 (2008).

• M.P. Dunning, E.R. Colby, Y.T. Ding, J.T. Frederico, A. Gilevich, C. Hast, R.K. Jobe, D.J. McCormick, J. Nelson, T.O. Raubenheimer, K. Soong, G.V. Stupakov, Z.M. Szalata, D.R. Walz, S.P. Weathersby, M. Woodley, D. Xiang
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• J.N. Corlett, G. Penn, S. Prestemon, J. Qiang, D. Schlueter, M. Venturini, W. Wan
  LBNL, Berkeley, California
• P.L. Pernet
  EPFL, Lausanne

In this paper we describe the technical design of an on-going proof-of-principle echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG) FEL experiment in the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) at SLAC. The experiment was designed through late 2009 and built and installed between October 2009 and January 2010. We present the design considerations, the technical realization and the expected performances of the EEHG experiment.

• F.-J. Decker, R. Akre, A. Brachmann, J. Craft, Y.T. Ding, D. Dowell, P. Emma, J.C. Frisch, Z. Huang, R.H. Iverson, A. Krasnykh, H. Loos, H.-D. Nuhn, D.F. Ratner, T.J. Smith, J.L. Turner, J.J. Welch, W.E. White, J. Wu
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC is an x-ray Free Electron Laser with wavelengths of 0.15 nm to 1.5 nm. The electron beam stability is important for good lasing. While the transverse jitter of the beam is about 10-20% of the rms beam sizes, the jitter in the longitudinal phase space is a multiple of the energy spread and bunch length. At the lower energy of 4.3 GeV (corresponding to the longest wavelength of 1.5 nm) the relative energy jitter can be 0.125%, while the rms energy spread is with 0.025% five times smaller. An even bigger ratio exists for the arrival time jitter of 50 fs and the bunch duration of about 5 fs (rms) in the low charge (20 pC) operating mode. Although the impact to the experiments is reduced by providing pulse-by-pulse data of the measured energy and arrival time, it would be nice to understand and mitigate the root causes of this jitter. The thyratron of the high power supply of the RF klystrons is one of the main contributors. Another suspect is the multi-pacting in the RF loads. Phase measurements down to 0.01 degree (equals 10 fs) along the RF pulse were achieved, giving hints to the impact of the different sources.

• D. Xiang, E.R. Colby, Y.T. Ding, M.P. Dunning, J.T. Frederico, A. Gilevich, C. Hast, R.K. Jobe, D.J. McCormick, J. Nelson, T.O. Raubenheimer, K. Soong, G.V. Stupakov, Z.M. Szalata, D.R. Walz, S.P. Weathersby, M. Woodley
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• J.N. Corlett, G. Penn, S. Prestemon, J. Qiang, D. Schlueter, M. Venturini, W. Wan
  LBNL, Berkeley, California
• P.L. Pernet
  EPFL, Lausanne

ECHO-7 is a proof-of-principle echo-enabled harmonic generation* FEL experiment in the Next Linear Collider Test Accelerator (NLCTA) at SLAC. The experiment aims to generate coherent radiation at 318 nm and 227 nm, which is the 5th and 7th harmonic of the infrared seed laser. In this paper we present the preliminary results from the commissioning run of the completed experimental setup which started in April 2010.

* G. Stupakov, PRL, 102, 074801 (2009); D. Xiang and G. Stupakov, PRST-AB, 12, 030702 (2009).