INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
In this paper we report the status of the SPARC photocathode drive laser system. In the high brightness photoinjector the properties of the electron beam are directly related to the drive laser features. In fact the 3-D distribution of the electron beam and the time of emission are determined by the incoming laser pulse. The SPARC laser is a 10 Hz frequency-tripled TW-class Ti:Sa commercial system. A dedicated activity on the shape of the laser pulse has been performed in order to produce high energy UV flat top and multi-peaks time profile. To achieve the required flat top shape we perform a manipulation of the laser spectrum at the fundamental wavelength and directly at the third harmonic. The production of multi peaks laser pulse have been studied and tested. Finally we present the key laser performances recorded for the SPARC FEL experiment.
CERN, Geneva
LAL, Orsay
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
Installation of the new photo-injector for the CTF3 drive beam (PHIN) has been completed on a stand-alone test bench. The photo-injector operates with a 2.5 cell RF gun at 3 GHz, using a Cs2Te photocathode illuminated by a UV laser beam. The test bench is equipped with different beam monitoring devices as well as a 90-degree spectrometer. A grid of 200 micrometer wide slits can be inserted for emittance measurements. The laser used to trigger the photo-emission process is a Nd:YLF system consisting of an oscillator and a preamplifier operating at 1.5 GHz and two powerful amplifier stages. The infrared radiation produced is frequency quadrupled in two stages to obtain the UV. A Pockels cell allows adjusting the length of the pulse train between 50 nanoseconds and 50 microseconds. The nominal train length for CTF3 is 1.272 microseconds (1908 bunches). The first electron beam in PHIN was produced in November 2008. In this paper, results concerning the operation of the laser system and measurements performed to characterize the electron beam are presented.
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Milano
INFN-Roma II, Roma
ENEA C.R. Frascati, Frascati (Roma)
University of Tehran, Tehran
INFN-Roma, Roma
One of the main goals of the SPARC high brightness photoinjector is the experimental demonstration of the emittance compensation process while compressing the beam with the velocity bunching technique, also named RF compressor. For this reason, the first two S-band travelling wave accelerating structures downstream of the RF gun are embedded in a long solenoid, in order to control the space charge induced emittace oscillations during the compression process. An RF deflecting cavity placed at the exit of the third accelerating structure allows bunch length measurements with a resolution of 50 μm. During the current SPARC run a parametric experimental study of the velocity bunching technique has been performed. The beam bunch length and projected emittance have been measured at 120 MeV as a function of the injection phase in the first linac, and for different solenoid field values. In this paper we describe the experimental layout and the results obtained thus far. Comparisons with simulations are also reported.
Università di Roma II Tor Vergata, Roma
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
Rome University La Sapienza, Roma
INFN-Roma II, Roma
ENEA C.R. Frascati, Frascati (Roma)
The SPARC photoinjector drives a SASE FEL to perform several experiments both for the production of high brightness electron beam and for testing new scheme of SASE radiation generation. The control of the beam properties, in particular at the level of the slice dimension, is crucial in order to optimize the FEL process. We report the different measurements performed in order to characterize the slice properties of the electron beam.
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Milano
INFN-Pisa, Pisa
UNIPI, Pisa
CNR/IPP, Pisa
INFN-Cagliari, Monserrato (Cagliari)
The PLASMONX project foresees the installation at LNF of a 0.2 PW (6 J, 30 fs pulse) Ti:Sa laser system FLAME (Frascati Laser for Acceleration and Multidisciplinary Experiments) to operate in close connection with the existent SPARC electron photo-injector, allowing for advanced laser/e-beam interaction experiments. Among the foreseen scientific activities, a Thomson scattering experiment between the SPARC electron bunch and the high power laser will be performed and a new dedicated beamline is foreseen for such experiments. The beam lines transporting the beam to the interaction chamber with the laser have been designed, and the IP region geometry has been fixed. The electron final focusing system, featuring a quadrupole triplet and large radius solenoid magnet (ensuring an e-beam waist of {10}-15 microns) as well as the whole interaction chamber layout have been defined. The optical transfer line issues: transport up to the interaction, tight focusing, diagnostics, fine positioning, have been solved within the final design. The building hosting the laser has been completed; delivering and installation of the laser,as beam lines elements are now being completed.
INFN/LNF, Frascati (Roma)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Milano
CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette
INFN-Roma II, Roma
ENEA C.R. Frascati, Frascati (Roma)
SOLEIL, Gif-sur-Yvette
INFN-Roma, Roma
University of Tehran, Tehran
UCLA, Los Angeles, California
The SPARC project foresees the realization of a high brightness photo-injector to produce a 150-200 MeV electron beam to drive 500 nm FEL experiments in SASE, Seeding and Single Spike configurations. The SPARC photoinjector is also the test facility for the recently approved VUV FEL project named SPARX. The second stage of the commissioning, that is currently underway, foresees a detailed analysis of the beam matching with the linac in order to confirm the theoretically prediction of emittance compensation based on the “invariant envelope” matching , the demonstration of the “velocity bunching” technique in the linac and the characterisation of the spontaneous and stimulated radiation in the SPARC undulators. In this paper we report the experimental results obtained so far. The possible future energy upgrade of the SPARC facility to produce UV radiation and its possible applications will also be discussed.
