• A. Winter, P. Schmuser, A. Winter
  Uni HH, Hamburg
• J. Chen, F.O. Ilday, F.X. Kaertner, J. Kim
  MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• H. Schlarb
  DESY, Hamburg

Fourth-generation light sources, such as the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) require timing signals distributed over distances of several kilometers with a stability in the order of femtoseconds. A promising approach is the use of a mode-locked laser that generates sub-picosecond pulses which are distributed in timing stabilized optical fiber links. A good candidate for a laser master oscillator (LMO) is a mode-locked Erbium-doped fiber laser, featuring extremely low phase noise far from the carrier. Results on the development of the LMO locked to an external reference microwave oscillator to suppress low frequency jitter, the distribution via timing stabilized optical fiber links and the reconversion of the optical pulses to a low phase noise microwave RF signals with overall femtosecond stability are presented.

• M. Ferianis
  ELETTRA, Basovizza, Trieste
• J.M. Byrd, J.W.  Staples, R.B. Wilcox
  LBNL, Berkeley, California
• J. Chen, F.O. Ilday, F.X. Kaertner, J. Kim
  MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• A. Winter
  Uni HH, Hamburg

Fermi is the fourth generation light source that is currently being designed at ELETTRA, in the frame of a collaboration that includes LBNL and MIT. The timing system will play a crucial role in achieving the expected performance of this and other Linac based FELs due to the sub-ps electron bunch length and the expanded use of fs-lasers as key components in future light sources. Furthermore, the requirements of the timing system are also tightly linked to the applications of the generated ultrafast x-ray pulses. In this paper we present the requirements for the FERMI timing system, which will be based on optical timing distribution concepts, currently seen to be the only technique to enable an RMS jitter at the 10fs level. The timing system, intended for a user facility that is operated on a 24-h, 7-d basis, must operate stable and reliable. The fundamental components of the system are analyzed, such as the optical reference oscillator, the fiber optic stabilized links and the local optical to electrical (O/E) converters, needed for the RF plant synchronization. Furthermore, solutions for the synchronization of the diagnostic tools for the Linac as well as user related synchronization issues are presented and discussed.

• A. Winter, H. Schlarb
  DESY, Hamburg
• dc. Cheever, J. Chen, F.O. Ilday, F.X. Kaertner, J. Kim, D. Wang, T. Zwart
  MIT, Middleton, Massachusetts
• P. Schmuser
  Uni HH, Hamburg

X-ray pulses with a pulse duration of down to 30 fs FWHM or even sub-fs are desired for various experiments planned at next generation free electron lasers, such as the European XFEL. A synchronization of the probe system in the experimental area to the x-ray pulses with stability on the order of the pulse width is highly desirable for these experiments. This requirement translates to distributing an ultra-stable timing signal to various subsystems of the machine and the experimental area to provide synchronization at the fs level over distances of up to several kilometers. A few years ago, a timing and synchronization system providing stability to the fs level was unthinkable. Recent advances in the field of ultra-short pulse lasers have made optical synchronization systems with such a precision feasible. This talk will focus on an optical approach using a train of ultra-short pulses distributed through optical fiber links. The timing information is contained in the precise repetition rate. First results of such a system operating in an accelerator environment will be reported.