• S. Di Mitri, P. Craievich
  ELETTRA, Basovizza, Trieste
• M. Cornacchia, P. Emma, Z. Huang, J. Wu
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• D. Wang
  MIT, Middleton, Massachusetts
• A. Zholents
  LBNL, Berkeley, California

Funding: Sincrotrone Trieste and Director, Office of Science, of the U.S. Department of Energy, under contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.

Design studies are in progress to use the existing FERMI@Elettra linear accelerator for a seeded harmonic cascade FEL facility [1]. This accelerator will be upgraded to 1.2 GeV and equipped with a low-emittance RF photocathode gun, laser heater, two bunch compressors, and beam delivery system. We present an optimization study for all the components following the gun, with the aim of achieving high peak current, low energy spread and low emittance electron beam necessary for the FEL. Various operational scenarios are discussed. Results of accelerator simulations including effects of space charge, coherent synchrotron radiation, and wakefields are reported.

[1] C. Bocchetta, et al., FERMI@Elettra - A Seeded Harmonic Cascaded FEL for EUV and Soft X-rays, this conference.

• 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.

• C.J. Bocchetta, D. Bulfone, P. Craievich, G. D'Auria, M.B. Danailov, G. De Ninno, S. Di Mitri, B. Diviacco, M. Ferianis, A. Gomezel, F. Iazzourene, E. Karantzoulis, G. Penco, M. Trovo
  ELETTRA, Basovizza, Trieste
• J.N. Corlett, W.M. Fawley, S.M. Lidia, G. Penn, A. Ratti, J.W.  Staples, R.B. Wilcox, A. Zholents
  LBNL, Berkeley, California
• M. Cornacchia, P. Emma, Z. Huang, J. Wu
  SLAC, Menlo Park, California
• W. Graves, F.O. Ilday, F.X. Kaertner, D. Wang, T. Zwart
  MIT, Middleton, Massachusetts
• F. Parmigiani
  Universita Cattolica-Brescia, Brescia

We describe the machine layout and major performance parameters for the FERMI FEL project funded for construction at Sincrotrone Trieste, Italy. The project will be the first user facility based on seeded harmonic cascade FELs, providing controlled, high peak-power pulses. With a high-brightness rf photocathode gun, and using the existing 1.2 GeV S-band linac, the facility will provide tunable output over a range from ~100 nm to ~10 nm, with pulse duration from 40 fs to ~ 1ps, and with fully variable output polarization. Initially, two FEL cascades are planned; a single-stage harmonic generation to operate > 40 nm, and a two-stage cascade operating from ~40 nm to ~10 nm or shorter wavelength. The output is spatially and temporally coherent, with peak power in the GW range. Lasers provide modulation to the electron beam, as well as driving the photocathode and other systems, and the facility will integrate laser systems with the accelerator infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art optical timing system providing synchronization of rf signals, lasers, and x-ray pulses. Major systems and overall facility layout are described, and key performance parameters summarized.