DELTA, Dortmund
The storage-ring FEL at DELTA has been successfully operated with different filling patterns and temporal structures following the installation of new mirror chambers three years ago. The modulation depth of the optical-klystron spectrum was used to measure the electron energy spread. The measured FEL output power at high beam currents strongly exceeded the predictions of the low-gain model. This could be explained by the microwave instability being damped significantly by the onset of the FEL interaction. In the near future, the optical klystron will be seeded by external ultrashort laser pulses in order to produce highly coherent, intense and ultrashort VUV pulses by coherent harmonic generation (CHG). Additionally, coherent ultrashort THz pulses will be generated several meters downstream of the optical klystron by the laser-induced gap in the electron bunch.
Uni HH, Hamburg
DESY, Hamburg
PSI, Villigen
DELTA, Dortmund
The free-electron laser facility FLASH at DESY (Hamburg) was upgraded during a five month shutdown in winter 2009. Part of this upgrade was the installation of a direct seeding experiment in the XUV spectral range. Beside all components for transport and diagnostics of the photon beam in and out of the accelerator environment, a new 10m long variable gap undulator was installed upstream of the existing FLASH undulator system. The seed pulses are generated within a noble gas jet by focusing 40 fs long Ti:Sa laser pulses into it resulting a comb of higher harmonics. In the first phase of the experiment the 21st harmonic of the 800nm drive laser will be used to seed the FEL process. The commissioning of the experiment has started in April and the first results are expected after the FLASH commissioning period mid of summer 2010. The experimental setup and the commissioning procedures as well as first result will be presented.
