INFN/LASA, Segrate (MI)
The production of Cs2Te photoemissive films used as laser driven electron sources in the high brightness photoinjectors at FLASH and PITZ, is a well established activity at INFN Milano since the '90s. Our total production is of more than 100 photocathodes, with an average QE of 8% (@ 254 nm) for fresh films and an operative lifetime that increased up to some months at FLASH. In the last two years, we have improved the standard diagnostic used during the cathode growth to better understand the material properties of the films. This activity is motivated by the need to improve the photocathode properties, mainly the energy distribution of the photoemitted electrons that influences the thermal emittance. The multiwavelengths diagnostic, i.e. the on-line measurements of the photocurrent and reflectivity from the film during its growth in the 239 nm ~ 436 nm range, has been deeply applied on several cathodes and the potentiality of this technique are discussed in this paper.
DESY, Hamburg
INFN/LASA, Segrate (MI)
Caesium telluride photocathodes are used as laser driven electron sources at the Free-Electron-Laser Hamburg, FLASH, and will be used at the European XFEL. One concern of the operation of photocathodes in these user facilities is the degradation of the quantum efficiency during operation. After improving vacuum conditions and removing contaminants, the cathode life time increased from a couple of weeks to several months. In this contribution we report on long time operation of Cs2Te cathodes in terms of QE measurements and investigations on the homogeneity of the electron emission. Another concern of electron guns operated with long RF-pulses (0.8 ms at FLASH) is the generation of dark current either from the cathode or from the gun body. During the last years a constant high amount of dark current, emitted from the gun body itself, was observed at FLASH. Caused by that during the shut-down 2009/2010 the RF-gun at FLASH, operated more than five years, was replaced. The improved dark current situation with the new RF-gun is presented in terms of dark current measurements under different operational conditions.
DESY, Hamburg
INFN/LASA, Segrate (MI)
The preparation phase for the European XFEL cavity production includes a number of actions. Material issues: qualification of high purity niobium vendors, verifying of large grain material as a possible option, construction of the scanning device for the niobium sheets. Mechanical fabrication issues: accommodation of the TESLA cavity design to the XFEL demands, device construction for RF measurement of components, integration of the helium tank and it's welding to the cavity into the fabrication sequence, documentation and data transfer, application of a new high resolution camera for inspection of the inside surface. Treatment and RF measurement: establishing the XFEL recipe, in particular the final surface treatment (final 40 μm EP or short 10 μm Flash BCP), and the cavity preparation strategy (vertical acceptance test with or without helium tank welded, with or without assembly of HOM antennas), construction of the cavity tuning machine. About 50 prototype cavities are produced at the industry, treated (partially in industry and partially at DESY) and RF-tested at DESY. The XFEL requirements are fulfilled with a yield of approx. 90%.
