Free-Electron Lasers as Pumps for High-Energy Solid-State Lasers -G. Travish, J.K. Crane and A. Tremaine
Abstract:
High average-power free-electron lasers may be useful for pumping high peak-power solid-state laser-amplifiers. At very high peak-powers, the pump source for solid-state lasers is non-trivial: flash lamps produce thermal problems and are unsuitable for materials with short florescence-times, while diodes can be expensive and are only available at select wavelengths. FELs can provide pulse trains of light tuned to a laser material's absorption peak, and florescence lifetime. An FEL pump can thus minimize thermal effects anad potentially allow for new laser materials to be used. This paper examines the design of a high average-power, effecient high-gain FEL for use as a pump source. Specifically, the cases of a 100 J class pump, and a 100 TW-class laser at a planned fourth-generation light-source are considered.
Design Considerations for a High-Efficiency High-Gain Free-Electron Laser for Power Beaming -C. Muller and G. Travish
Abstract:
Power beaming from ground-based systems to space-based platforms has been proposed by a number of researchers as a means of delivering energy to orbiting satellites and stations. This paper considers the use of a seeded high-gain high-efficiency Free-Electron Laser (FEL) amplifier based on a conventional linac as the source for power beaming. While the wall-plug efficiency of a single pass FEL is likely to be considerably lower than a recirculating system, electrical efficiency is unlikely to be a serious consideration for first-generation power-beaming systems. Moreover, the simplicity of the proposed scheme scales well from existing and completed experiments.
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Theoretical evaluation of the LCLS X-Ray Free-Electron Laser performance. -S. Reiche, C. Pellegrini, P. Emma and H. -D. Nuhn
Abstract:
In this paper we evaluate the performance of the LCLS FEL, including all known physical effects from the electron source to the undulator exit which determine the X-ray pulse characteristics. The wavelength range considered is from the 15 to 1.5 Angstrom, with an extension to 0.5 Angstrom using the third harmonic. The results of this work have been useful to identify areas in the LCLS design where improvements could be made, thus optimizing the system performance.
Start-End Simulations for the LCLS X-Ray Free-Electron Laser. -S. Reiche, C. Pellegrini, P. Emma, H. -D. Nuhn, C. Limborg, M. Borland and W. Fawley
Abstract:
The LCLS Free-Electron Lasers operates in the wavelength range of 1.5-15 Angstrom, using an electron beam with an energy between 4.5 and 14.5 GeV. The generation of the electron beam, the preservation of its brightness during acceleration and compression, and the amplififcation of the spontaneous radiation within the FEL can only be described by a consistent set of simulation codes. We preset the change in the FEL performance with respect to the LCLS design case, when various effects are included, altering the electron beam distribution and motion (e.g. wake fields, CSR, magnet misalignment or field errors of the undulator field). To distinguish the individual contribution of each effect, multiple start-end simulations are performed, including step by step additional effects and, thus, approaching a more and more realistic model of the LCLS FEL.
Chirped pulse amplification at VISA-FEL -R. Agustsson, G. Andonian, M. Babzien, I. Ben-Zvi, P. Frigola, J. Huang, A. Murokh, L. Palumbo, C. Pellegrini, S. Reiche, J. Rosenzweig, G. Travish, C. Vicario, V. Yakimenko
Abstract:
Chirped beam manipulations are of the great interest to the FEL (Free Electron Laser) community as a potential means of obtaining ultra short X-ray pulses. The experiment is under way at the ATF (Accelerator Test Facility) at BNL (Brookhaven National Laboratory) to study the FEL process limits with the under-compressed chirped electron beam. High gain near-saturation SASE operation was achieved with the strongly chirped beam (~ 2.8% head-to-tail). The measured beam dynamics and SASE properties are presented, as well as the design parameters for the next round of experiment utilizing the newly installed UCLA/ATF chicane compressor.