First lasing of the mid infrared FEL at ELBE was achieved on May 7, 2004. The Radiation Source ELBE at the Forschungszentrum Rossendorf in Dresden is currently under transition from commissioning to regular user operation. Presently the electron linac produces an up to 18 MeV, 1 mA (cw) electron beam which is alotted to generate various kinds of secondary radiation. After the successful commissioning of the bremsstrahlung and channeling-X-ray facilities during 2003 stable lasing has now been observed in the IR range (15 to 22 μm). The oscillator FEL is equipped with two planar undulator units, both consisting of 34 hybrid permanent magnet periods of 27.3 mm (K_rms = 0.3 - 0.8). The distance between the two parts is variable and the gaps can be adjusted and tapered independently. At 19.6 µm an optical power of 3W was out-coupled in a macro pulse of 0.6 ms duration using an electron beam energy of 16.1 MeV and an energy spread of less than 100 keV; the micropulse charge was 50 pC and its width slightly above 1ps. With the installation of a second acceleration module for additional 20 MeV smaller wavelengths will become available in the near future.

In Rossendorf it was shown for the first time that a RF electron gun where a photo cathode is inside a superconducting cavity, works stable over a period of seven weeks. At 4.2K no change of the quality factor Q = 2.5 10⁸ has been observed [1]. The experimental results were the basis for the design of a new 3.4 cell superconducting RF photo electron gun [2]. The paper presents details of different components of this gun, explains the status of manufacturing and gives results of first test measurements. Furthermore, the idea is discussed to use for emittance compensation instead of a static magnetic field which is inside the cavity of a normal conducting RF gun in the superconducting gun cavity an additional magnetic RF field (TE₀₁₁ mode) . By computer simulation the attraction of this idea is demonstrated.