The CXFEL project at ASU will produce coherent soft x-ray radiation at a university-scale facility. Unlike conventional XFELs, the CXFEL will use an optical undulator in addition to nanobunching the electron beam instead of a static magnetic undulator. This reduces the undulator period from cm-scale to micron scale and lowers the requirements on the electron beam energy. CXFEL’s overtaking geometry design reduces the effective undulator period to 7.86 μm to produce 1 keV photons. This is accomplished by crossing the laser and electron beam at a 30 degree overtaking angle, and using a tilted laser pulse front to maintain temporal overlap between the electron beam and laser pulse. The inverse Compton scattering interaction between a microbunched electron beam and an optical undulator falls out of the range of most accelerator codes. We employ MITHRA, a FEL full-wave FDTD solver software package which includes inverse Compton scattering to simulate the FEL lasing process. We have adapted the code to the CXFEL instrument design to simulate the radiation/electron beam interactions and report results of studies including scaling of key parameters.

For certain photonuclear experiments utilizing Compton gamma-ray beams, beam-uncorrelated background poses a significant challenge. At the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS), we have developed methods to generate pulsed free-electron laser (FEL) beams by transversely or longitudinally modulating the storage ring FEL. Both methods enable periods of FEL interaction: one by transversely manipulating the electron beam orbit, the other by de-synchronizing the electron and FEL beams. The recently-developed longitudinal method has proven superior: it avoids beam loss and is applicable across a wide range of electron beam energies. In this work, we describe the operational principle of pulsed FEL beam generation using longitudinal modulation, and we present measurements of the macro- and micro-temporal structure of the FEL beam. Furthermore, we present experimental results demonstrating the effectiveness of using a pulsed gamma-ray beam to reduce beam background.

FEL oscillators typically employ a two-mirror cavity with spherical mirrors. For storage ring FELs, a long, nearly concentric FEL cavity is utilized to achieve a reasonably small Rayleigh range, optimizing the FEL gain. A challenge for the Duke storage ring, with a 53.73 m long cavity, is the characterization of FEL mirrors with a long radius of curvature (ROC). The Duke FEL serves as the laser drive for the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS). As we extend the energy coverage of the gamma-ray beam from 1 to 120 MeV, the FEL operation wavelength has expanded from infrared to VUV (1 micron to 170 nm). To optimize Compton gamma-ray production, the optimal value for the mirror's ROC needs to vary from 27.5 m to about 28.5 m. Measuring long mirror ROCs (> 10 m) with tight tolerances remains a challenge. We have developed two different techniques, one based on light diffraction and the other on geometric imaging, to measure the long ROCs. In this work, we present both techniques and compare their strengths and weaknesses when applied to measure mirror substrates with low reflectivity and FEL mirrors with high reflectivity.

The ongoing Plasma-driven Attosecond X-ray source experiment (PAX) at FACET-II aims to produce coherent soft X-ray pulses of attosecond duration using a Plasma Wakefield Accelerator [1]. These kinds of X-ray pulses can be used to study chemical processes where attosecond-scale electron motion is important. For this first stage of the experiment, PAX plans to demonstrate that <100 nm bunch length electron beams can be generated using the 10 GeV beam accelerated in the FACET-II linac and using the plasma cell to give it a percent-per-micron chirp. The strongly chirped beam is then compressed in a weak chicane to sub-100 nm length, producing CSR in the final chicane magnet at wavelengths as low as 10s of nm. In this contribution we describe the commissioning of the spectral diagnostics as well as the results expected of this experiment. Additionally, we describe a future iteration of the experiment in which short undulators are used to drive coherent harmonic generation to produce attosecond gigawatt X-ray pulses at 2 and 0.4 nm, with lengths comparable to the shortest attosecond pulses ever measured at 2 nm using HHG.

LCLS-II-HE is an energy upgrade of the LCLS-II linac from 4 GeV to 8 GeV. The X-ray FEL photon energy (Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission mode) will extend towards 12 keV (from the present 5 keV) based on the current beam emittance. To reach higher photon energy range towards 20 keV, a new injector with a much brighter electron beam will be required. Here we study an X-ray regenerative amplifier FEL (XRAFEL) configuration that enables reaching 20 keV photon energy with the current LCLS-II injector parameters, by reamplifying the cavity-returned X-rays in the LCLS-II undulator over multiple passes. At 20 keV, the Bragg mirrors have very narrow angular and wavelength acceptances. In this paper, we discuss how to layout the cavity optics in combination with the electron-beam based Q-switching method to generate fully coherent bright high-energy X-rays with 20 meV spectral bandwidth.

As an important experimental tool, the Optical Frequency Combs (OFCs) has had a profound impact on research in various fields, whereas, generating high power high repetition frequency OFCs at tunable frequencies is still a limitation for most of the existing methods. In this study, free-electron laser (FEL) is proposed to generate coherent X-ray OFC with a tunable repetition frequency and high pulse energy. The approach involves using a proper seed laser with frequency modulation, followed by amplification in the Echo-Enabled Harmonic Generation (EEHG) mode to generate X-ray OFCs. Numerical simulations using the realistic beam parameters of the Shanghai soft X-ray free-electron laser facility have demonstrated the feasibility of generating X-ray OFCs. These OFCs have a peak power of about 1.5 GW and repetition frequencies ranging from 6 THz to 12 THz at Centre energies carbon K edge (~284 eV). The proposed technique presents new possibilities for resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectroscopy and Terabit-level coherent optical communication, etc.

Strong field Terahertz (THz) light source has been in-creasingly important for many scientific frontiers, while it is still a challenge to obtain THz radiation with high pulse energy at wide-tunable frequency. In this paper, we introduce an accelerator-based strong filed THz light source to obtain coherent THz radiation with high pulse energy and tunable frequency and X-ray pulse at the same time, which adopts a frequency beating laser pulse modulated electron beam. Here, we present the experimental preparation for the strong filed THz radiation at shanghai soft X-ray free-electron laser (SXFEL) facility and show its simulated radiation performance.

SLAC's LCLS-II is rapidly advancing towards MHz repetition rate attosecond X-ray pulses, opening new opportunities to leverage the abundance of data in combination with advances in machine learning (ML) to better align the x-ray source with specific experimental goals. We approach the challenge from both ends of the facility. Starting at the X-ray output, we showcase our low latency, high throughput ML algorithms implemented at-the-edge for X-ray detection and reconstruction in the Multi-Resolution 'Cookiebox' (MRCO) angle resolved electron spectrometer with its 16 electron time-of-flight detectors. MRCO performs spectro-temporal characterization of X-ray profiles with a resolution that allows single shot identification of well-seeded shots versus SASE background at MHz rate. MRCO enables fast feedback, so we also tackle the problem as a control issue, focusing on programmable photoinjector laser shaping to adjust the initial electron bunch. Towards this end of using advances in ML to explore the parameter space for optimizing X-ray production, we present our progress towards a digital twin linking the photoinjector laser all the way through MRCO in the endstation diagnostics.

This work presents the design of a compact high-efficiency terahertz source, a collaborative effort between UCLA and RadiaBeam Technologies. The system, driven by a thermionic RF gun, features prebunching elements including alpha-magnet and electromagnetic chicane to effectively compress the long beam generated from the gun. By sending such beam into tapering enhanced waveguide oscillator, we can achieve high efficiency energy extraction in different regimes. This work focuses on the beam dynamics in the beamline prior injection into the undulator. A brief mention of the simulation results for radiation generation is also presented.

The paper introduces design and optimization of a high-repetition-rate infrared terahertz free-electron laser (IR-THz FEL) facility, which leverages optical resonator-based FEL technology to achieve a higher mean power output by increasing pulse frequency. Electron beam of the facility will be generated from a photocathode RF gun injector and further accelerated with a superconducting linear accelerator. Taking into account the collective effects, such as space charge, coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR), and longitudinal cavity wake field impacts, beam dynamics simulation for the injector, the accelerator, as well as the bunch compressor, has been done with codes of ASTRA and CSRTrack. With optimized microwave parameters of the linac, current profile with good symmetry has been obtained and the peak current can reach 100 A.

Manipulation electron beam phase space technology by laser-electron interaction has been widely used in accelerator-based light sources. The energy of the electron beam can be modulated effectively under resonant conditions by using an intense external laser beam incident into the undulator together with the electron beam. Enhancing the modulation efficiency is crucial for the performance of high repetition rate seeded free electron lasers (FELs) and other related devices. In this paper, we propose a new scheme to augment the efficiency of laser-electron interaction by employing the interaction between a vortex beam and an electron beam within a helical undulator. Three-dimensional time-dependent simulation results indicate that the modulation repetition rate of laser-electron interaction using a vortex beam can be improved by one order of magnitude over the conventional Gaussian beam at the same input power.

A new infrared Free-Electron Laser (FEL) facility FELiChEM has been established as an experimental facility at the University of Science and Technology of China. It consists of two free electron laser oscillators which produce mid-infrared and far-infrared lasers covering the spectral range of 2-200 μm at the present stage. The output power is a crucial parameter for users, and it is usually achieved by an out-coupling hole located in the center of a cavity mirror. Nevertheless, the spectral gap phenomenon has been observed in FEL oscillators with partial waveguides as the output power is highly dependent on the mode configuration before the out-coupling mirror. Such power gaps have an adverse effect on experimental results since numerous experiments require continuous spectral scanning. In this paper, we propose the utilization of multiple out-coupling holes on the cavity mirror, instead of relying solely on a central out-coupling hole, to reduce the adverse impact of the spectral gap phenomenon.

The Fritz-Haber-Institut (FHI) der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Free Electron Laser (FEL) achieved first light from its Mid-IR beamline at 18 microns on February 14, 2012. In the subsequent years, the 3 to 60 micron light has been supplied to users resulting in 96 refereed publications in Chemical Physics. In 2019, the FEL Group initiated an upgrade to add a Far-IR beamline to the system. On June 8, 2023, first light was achieved at 8 microns from this beamline which spans 4.5 to 165 microns in tunable radiation. A unique feature of this upgrade is the inclusion of a 500 MHz kicker cavity that can send the 1 GHz electron pulses alternatively into the MIR and FIR beamlines. On December 8, 2023, first light was obtained simultaneously at 18 and 55 microns respectively, thereby achieving the project goal of independently-tunable two-color lasing. We will discuss the physics and engineering design of the new FIR beamline and provide details of the radiation spectrum and parameters. We will also outline planned user experiments using this new radiation tool.

The cavity-based x-ray free-electron laser (CBXFEL) R&D project utilizes a low-loss x-ray cavity (65.5 m long) to provide circulating monochromatized x-ray seeding for electrons from the Cu-linac at SLAC. The project aims to demonstrate the two-pass gain in x-ray regenerative amplifier and XFELO modes by 2024. Here, we report on the design, manufacture, and characterization of x-ray optical and diagnostic components for this project. The low-loss wavefront-preserving x-ray optical components include high-reflectivity C(400) diamond crystal mirrors, drumhead diamond crystal with thin membranes, beryllium refractive lenses, channel-cut Si monochromators, and exact-Backscattering C(440) diamond crystal. The x-ray diagnostics are designed to ensure the accuracy of beam alignment and to characterize and optimize CBXFEL performance. These include different types of x-ray beam position and profile monitors and x-ray beam intensity monitors, and a meV-resolution x-ray spectrograph. All x-ray optical and diagnostic components have been fully characterized with x-rays, and the mechanical installation of these components is expected to be finished soon.

An x-ray free-electron laser oscillator (XFELO) is a promising candidate for producing fully coherent x-rays beyond the fourth-generation light sources. An R&D XFELO experiment (ANL-SLAC-Spring-8 collaboration) to demonstrate the basic principles and measure the two-pass FEL gain is expected to be accomplished by 2024. Beyond this R&D experiment, an XFELO user facility will be eventually needed to produce stable x-ray pulses with saturated pulse energy at MHz repetition rate. However, one of the outstanding issues for realizing an MHz XFELO is the possible Bragg crystal degradation due to the high-repetition-rate thermal loading of the high-pulse-energy x-rays. The deposited energy by one x-ray pulse induces temperature gradients and elastic waves in the crystal, where the deformed crystal lattice impacts the Bragg performance for subsequent x-ray pulses. Here, we report on the numerical study of the crystal thermoelastic response under thermal loading of x-ray pulse trains. The long-term decoupled thermoelastic behavior of the crystal and the possible mitigation of the thermal loading such as crystal cryogenical cooling will be discussed.

The CXFEL project at ASU will produce coherent soft x-ray radiation at a university-scale facility. Unlike conventional XFELs, the CXFEL will use an optical undulator in addition to nanobunching the electron beam instead of a static magnetic undulator. This reduces the undulator period from cm-scale to micron scale and lowers the requirements on the electron beam energy. CXFEL’s overtaking geometry design reduces the effective undulator period to 7.86 μm to produce 1 keV photons. This is accomplished by crossing the laser and electron beam at a 30 degree overtaking angle, and using a tilted laser pulse front to maintain temporal overlap between the electron beam and laser pulse. The inverse Compton scattering interaction between a microbunched electron beam and an optical undulator falls out of the range of most accelerator codes. We employ MITHRA, a FEL full-wave FDTD solver software package which includes inverse Compton scattering to simulate the FEL lasing process. We have adapted the code to the CXFEL instrument design to simulate the radiation/electron beam interactions and report results of studies including scaling of key parameters.

The CXFEL is designed to produce attosecond-femtosecond pulses of soft X-rays in the range 300-2500 eV using nanobunched electron beams and a very high power laser undulator. The project includes 5 X-ray endstations with applications in biology, quantum materials, and AMO science. The CXFEL Project overall includes both the CXFEL and the nonlasing hard X-ray CXLS that is described elsewhere in these proceedings. The CXFEL has recently completed a 3-year design phase and received NSF funding in March 2023 for construction over the next 5 years. Both CXFEL and CXLS instruments use recently developed X-band distributed-coupling, room-temperature, standing-wave linacs and photoinjectors operating at 1 kHz repetition rates and 9300 MHz RF frequency. They rely on recently developed Yb-based lasers operating at high peak and average power to produce fs pulses of 1030 nm light at 1 kHz repetition rate with pulse energy up to 400 mJ. We present the design and initial construction activities of the large collaborative effort to develop the fully coherent CXFEL.

In the framework of the FLASH2020+ project, the FLASH1 beamline will be upgraded to deliver seeded FEL pulses for users. This upgrade will be achieved by combining high gain harmonic generation and echo-enabled harmonic generation with a wide-range wavelength-tunable seed laser, to efficiently cover the 60-4 nm wavelength range. The undulator chain will also be refurbished entirely using new radiators based on the APPLE-III design, allowing for polarization control of the generated light beams. With the superconducting linac of FLASH delivering electron beams at MHz repetition rate in burst mode, laser systems are being developed to seed at full repetition rates. In the contribution, we will report about the progress of the project.

FLASH, the XUV and soft X-ray free-electron laser user facility at DESY, is in the transitional period between two substantial upgrade shutdowns within the FLASH2020+ upgrade project. FLASH consists of a common part FLASH0 (injector & superconducting linac), two FEL beamlines (FLASH1/2) and an experimental beamline FLASH3, accommodating the plasma wakefield experiment FLASHForward. The first (2021/22) shutdown was aimed at upgrading FLASH0 and install an APPLE-III undulator in the otherwise unchanged beamline FLASH2, enhancing the third harmonic at flexible output polarization. The next (2024/25) shutdown will focus on the complete exchange of the FLASH1 beamline to allow for externally seeded operation in the range from 60 nm down to 4 nm at 1 MHz bunch repetition rate (600 μs trains at 10 Hz train repetition rate). We report on the operation between the two shutdowns which was, to a large extend, dedicated to FEL operation for users and on the commissioning of the new features implemented in the last shutdown.

FLASH, the superconducting XUV and soft X-ray FEL is undergoing a substantial upgrade (FLASH2020+) with two long shutdowns 2021/22 and 2024/25. In the 1st shutdown, FLASH's 2nd bunch compression chicane (BC2) has been completely redesigned for the FLASH2020+ upgrade project. The redesign allowed the installation of two quad/skew-quad packs in each of the arms of the 4-dipole (C-type) chicane. With these corrector quadrupoles it should be possible to partially compensate linear correlations between the transverse centroids and the longitudinal position inside the bunch, so called bunch-tilts. During the limited commissioning/development shifts in a year of operation devoted to maximizing user hours we started measuring the impact of the quads on the bunch tilts and the unavoidable effects on dispersion closure and beam optics. In this contribution we report first results.

The operation of light source accelerators is a complex process that involves a combination of empirical and theoretical physics, simulations, and data-intensive methodologies. For example, the FLASH1 beamline at DESY is upgrading to an external seeding FEL light source*. We utilize special diagnostics, machine learning algorithms, and comprehensive simulations to achieve this. To optimize resources, we constantly look to improve our approach, allowing us to robustly control the accelerator and meet the desired stability of our users. Machine learning and GPU-based algorithms have become crucial, enabling us to employ advanced optimization techniques and possibly AI. However, in many cases, it is imperative to establish a robust mechanism for simulations involving large particle numbers to ensure that future upgrades and experiments can effectively and sustainably leverage these computational strategies.

The FLASH facility is currently undergoing a transformation to generate FEL radiation suitable for next generation user experiments. Here, the transition of FLASH1 from a SASE to an externally seeded FEL beamline is in main focus and will significantly expand the facilities capabilities. Near transform limited pulses at superior spectral and energy stability at full FLASH repetition rate of 1 MHz burst, together with variable polarization, will continue to broaden the facilities user community. As a prerequisite the superconducting linear accelerator has been upgraded in a recent shutdown to improve stability and control of the electron bunches while also increasing the maximal electron beam energy to 1.35 GeV. For testing of the future undulator concept for the seeded beamline a shorter period prototype device employing also APPLE III configuration has been installed in the FLASH2 beamline as an afterburner to boost the third harmonic at variable polarization. The increased wavelength range down to 1.33 nm along with before mentioned improvements already benefit current user experiments and preparatory seeding experiments undertaken within the Xseed environment.

Powered by a storage ring with energies ranging from 240 MeV to 1.2 GeV, the Duke Free-Electron Laser (FEL) has demonstrated operation across a broad wavelength spectrum from infrared (IR) to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV): 1100 nm to 170 nm. This FEL serves as a photon source for the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS), producing polarized, near-monochromatic, and high-flux Compton gamma-ray beams in an extensive energy range from 1 MeV to 120 MeV, with the highest flux recorded at 3.5e+10 ph/s (total) around 10 MeV. To generate high-energy gamma-ray beams above 80 MeV, the FEL must operate in the VUV region from 195 nm to 155 nm. This work describes the development and operation of VUV beam diagnostics within a nitrogen-purged enclosure, with increased difficulty as the wavelength shortens towards 155 nm. We will discuss the challenges encountered and the solutions found for VUV beam diagnostics, leading to the successful FEL lasing in the VUV region.

The linac-based single-pass FEL has been successfully operated in the EUV and x-ray regions for about two decades. However, the oscillator FEL has been limited to operating in the longer wavelength region. This limitation arises from the challenge of obtaining short-wavelength FEL mirrors with high reflectivity, thermal stability, and radiation resistance. With the Duke storage ring FEL, we have demonstrated VUV FEL lasing from 168.6 to 179.7 nm with excellent beam stability. This progress has been made possible by developing a new FEL configuration with substantially reduced undulator harmonic radiation on the FEL mirror, a thermally stable FEL optical cavity, and a new type of high-reflectivity fluoride-based multilayer coating with a protective capping layer. Employing this VUV FEL in Compton scattering, we have also produced a high-flux, circularly polarized gamma-ray beam up to 120 MeV at the High-Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS). The high-energy gamma rays will open up new opportunities for experimental study of the nucleon’s structure through the lens of Chiral Perturbation Theory.

FEL oscillators typically employ a two-mirror cavity with spherical mirrors. For storage ring FELs, a long, nearly concentric FEL cavity is utilized to achieve a reasonably small Rayleigh range, optimizing the FEL gain. A challenge for the Duke storage ring, with a 53.73 m long cavity, is the characterization of FEL mirrors with a long radius of curvature (ROC). The Duke FEL serves as the laser drive for the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS). As we extend the energy coverage of the gamma-ray beam from 1 to 120 MeV, the FEL operation wavelength has expanded from infrared to VUV (1 micron to 170 nm). To optimize Compton gamma-ray production, the optimal value for the mirror's ROC needs to vary from 27.5 m to about 28.5 m. Measuring long mirror ROCs (> 10 m) with tight tolerances remains a challenge. We have developed two different techniques, one based on light diffraction and the other on geometric imaging, to measure the long ROCs. In this work, we present both techniques and compare their strengths and weaknesses when applied to measure mirror substrates with low reflectivity and FEL mirrors with high reflectivity.

Reliable operation of a seeded Free Electron Laser requires the simultaneous control of several electron-beam, laser and accelerator parameters. With EEHG the complexity increases due to the second seed laser and the strong dependence of EEHG bunching to seeding parameters. With the recent upgrade of the FEL-1 line, FERMI is the first FEL facility to be operated in EEHG mode for users. This required a major work for developing software tools that could be used to easily set the FEL at the desired wavelength. We report here on the recent software developments at FERMI for the operations of the new FEL-1. An important prerequisite for EEHG is to determine both the electron beam energy spread and seed laser induced energy modulation. This is done by using HGHG time dependent bunching equations to match experimental parameters scans. With these data, optimal EEHG settings of the machine parameters are then calculated to reach the desired FEL wavelength. The requested parameters are then sent to interface tools that accurately control laser, undulator, chicane and electron beam.

Most FELs employ the mechanism of self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) from a relativistic electron beam to generate intense femtosecond pulses in the x-ray spectral region. Such SASE FELs are characterized by a broad bandwidth and relatively poor longitudinal coherence, and offer a rather limited control over the spectro-temporal properties. The limitations of a SASE FEL can be overcome by using an external laser to trigger the amplification process. Echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG), alone or in combination with the high-gain harmonic generation scheme (HGHG) is currently the most promising candidate to extend the operation of externally-seeded FELs into the soft x-ray region. Here, we discuss the plan at FERMI for the upgrade of the second FEL line in order to reach ~2 nm at the fundamental emission wavelength. In the first step, coherent radiation at ~10 nm will be generated with an EEHG layout and used as a seed in an HGHG stage on a fresh part of the electron beam. The experience with EEHG at the FEL-1 line will be an important step towards the final realization of the FERMI FEL as a reliable source of highly coherent radiation at ~2 nm and below.

Echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG), a free-electron laser (FEL) scheme relying on two modulating sections, each consisting of an optical seed laser, an undulator and a magnetic chicane, has recently been implemented on the FEL-1 radiator line at the FERMI FEL user facility in Trieste, Italy. This setup imprints a density modulation onto a relativistic electron beam at a high harmonic of the seed frequency before injecting the electrons into the radiator, where they emit coherent soft x-rays. We have experimentally studied EEHG performance as a function of the properties of both seeds (modulation amplitude, frequency chirp) and the electron beam (slice energy spread, energy profile). We measured a relatively low output sensitivity to the properties of the first and a high sensitivity to the properties of the second seed, and simultaneously a high tolerance both to slice energy spread and to non-linear terms in the electron-beam energy profile. All of these observations are consistent with theoretical predictions. The emission of coherent, shot-to-shot stable radiation at harmonics of the second seed frequency as high as 50 sets the stage for a future upgrade of the FEL-2 line.

In high-gain free-electron lasers (FELs) with planar undulators it is possible (in the linear regime) to independently amplify at the fundamental and at odd harmonics, a process referred to as Harmonic Lasing (HL). For the HL process preservation of the quality of the incoming high-brightness electron beam is essential. This requires suppression of the lasing at the fundamental, which can be achieved using several methods such as special phase shifter set points and attenuation of the fundamental radiation using intra-undulator optical high-pass filters. The European XFEL variable-gap undulator beamline SASE2 features two intra-undulator stations combining a magnetic chicane and the possibility to insert a thin diamond crystal onto the optical axis of the beamline. While installed for the operation in hard x-ray self seeding (HXRSS) mode, this hardware is well-suited for HL experiments at a low electron beam energy corresponding to a fundamental photon energy of about 2keV. In this contribution we present numerical simulations of third-harmonic lasing at this working point.

The SASE3 Variable Polarization project is intended to offer polarization control of the X-ray FEL pulses at the European XFEL. The project was completed in early 2022. During the winter shutdown 2021-2022, all four APPLE-X helical undulators were placed in the tunnel and first lasing was achieved in April 2022. Unfortunately, further use of the helical afterburner proved impossible, as the encoders used to position the magnetic structures of the undulator were damaged by radiation. To carry out repairs, all undulators were removed from the tunnel in the summer 2022, and investigations were carried out to determine the cause of the radiation damage. This article presents measures taken to minimize further radiation damage in order to ensure the continued operation of the helical afterburner.

The conceptual design of the laser-plasma-based soft X-ray Free Electron Laser at ELI-Beamlines involves the integration of a novel high-power, high-repetition-rate laser, plasma source, compact LPA-based electron beam accelerator, dedicated electron beam line with relevant diagnostics, undulator beam line, photon beam line with required diagnostics, as well as a photon beam distribution system. The proposed concept of the whole setup is optimized to produce high-quality, coherent X-ray pulses with femtosecond duration in the ‘water-window’ wavelength of the photon radiation, which will be used by the photon user community for expiring research in the field of biology to study biological structures and processes at the cellular and molecular level at high resolution. In addition, the laser-plasma-based soft X-ray FEL will extend the abilities of users in material science to study nanostructures and thin films. In the frame of this report, we present the conceptual design for the full setup, which will be incorporated into the existing infrastructure of ELI-Beamlines. Furthermore, we discuss the key obstacles and the role of this project in the EuPRAXIA joint activity.

The plasma accelerator-based Free Electron Laser research program at ELI-ERIC (ELI-Beamlines, Czech Republic) intends to utilize the unique qualities of plasma accelerators to build FELs with remarkable brightness, coherence, and pulse length. The program is based on the novel high-power, high-repetition-rate laser system, which is under preparation at ELI-Beamlines. The program entails expanding the LUIS experimental setup to test and validate the performance of the laser-plasma accelerator-based extreme ultra-violet (EUV) FEL, integrating a high-power laser, plasma source, and electron beam transport line with relevant diagnostics to create a comprehensive test bed for the development of the EuPRAXIA LPA-based FEL. The plasma accelerator-based FEL development program at ELI-Beamlines represents an innovative effort to expand the capabilities of FEL technology and open new possibilities for scientific research and industrial applications. In the frame of this report, we provide an overview of the relevant developments at ELI-ERIC (ELI-Beamlines) as well as the main challenges of this program.

The ELBE radiation source at HZDR has a long success story of delivering bright and powerful infrared and THz beams to a broad user community. Following the science driven user requests we have written a conceptual design report for the Dresden Advanced Light Infrastructure (DALI) as a successor to ELBE. The proposed DALI facility aims to increase the spectral brightness and pulse energy by orders of magnitude while providing two decades of tunability over the whole THz spectrum. It utilizes different radiation production schemes adapted to the wavelength range - super-radiant undulator sources for the long-wavelength THz range and an optical klystron driven by an oscillator FEL for the far-IR range. All sources are driven by superconducting linear accelerators allowing CW operation. The facility layout is chosen such that parallel operation of all sources is possible and great versatility is available to provide users with pulse repetition rates from single-shot to 1 MHz with flexible timing and the ability to combine sources. A positron source and a UED setup are planned to complete the facility.

THz (1e+12 Hz) radiation is very attractive for its non-ionizing penetrative nature and unique absorption in water, metals, and other chemicals. While THz has great potential for imaging and for diagnosing chemical traces, it has not been utilized extensively due to scarcity of high-power THz sources. Currently, compact THz sources deliver power in the range of 50 μW — 0.5 W, insufficient for most imaging and sensing applications. A compact THz sources is proposed to mitigate this gap of technology. FELs have been used for THz generation but have not been compact enough for most applications. The recent demonstration of waveguide THz FELs [1] has opened the door to more compact THz FELs. We propose a design of a seeded THz FEL with an overmoded waveguide. In addition, an efficient use of compact photoinjector to drive particles in energy of 2-4 MeV greatly reduces the overall footprint by 20%. We plan to use high-power GUNN diodes provides to efficiently seed THz power to the electron bunches, reducing the overall length of the device by 200%. An overmoded waveguide will allow for a larger waveguide to be used. The design has the potential to unleash full potential of THz spectrum.

Generating nanometer-scale density modulation has been pursued due to its potential for compact X-ray source applications. Realization of this nanometer modulation involves two key challenges: development of sub-micron-scale momentum modulation method and conversion method to density modulation without quality degradation. Addressing the first challenge, emittance exchange (EEX) beamline is a promising candidate. Its unique capability of transverse-to-longitudinal phase space exchange makes it compatible with various modulators imparting either transverse or longitudinal modulations. This versatility allows us to find optimal radiators, addressing the second challenge. Study on degradation sources and their effects on the beam are underway to realize nanometer-scale modulation using EEX beamline. We present most recent results from our simulation study.

Bunch trains have been considered as a promising means of generating intense, coherent radiation in compact accelerator facilities. However, conventional methods, which impart a sinusoidal modulation on the beam’s longitudinal phase space, are inefficient for generating a high bunching factor density modulation. Only a small fraction of a sinusoidal modulation, which has linearity, primarily forms density spikes while other particles under nonlinear correlation have limited contribution to these spikes. One way to improve such bunching efficiency is imparting a saw-tooth correlation, which has piecewise-linearities. This correlation maximizes the peaks of density spikes as more than 90% of particles will contribute to the spikes. While such correlation can be generated by a series of transverse wigglers, a single transverse wiggler with shaped poles to introduce higher harmonics can generate saw-tooth or saw-tooth-like correlations. We present a recent study on this new approach, employing a shaped-pole transverse wiggler.

An energy-recovery-linac (ERL)-based X-ray free-electron laser (FEL) is proposed considering its three main advantages: i) shortening the linac by recirculating the electron beam by high-gradient SRF cavities, ii) saving the klystron power and reducing the beam dump power through the energy recovery in the SRFs, iii) producing a high average photon brightness with high average beam current. Such a concept has the capability of optimized high-brightness CW X-ray FEL performance at different energies with simultaneous multipole sources. In this paper, we will present the preliminary results on the optics design, parameter optimization, beam dynamics study and identification of potential R&D aspects.

A second hard X-ray beamline (HX2) at the PAL-XFEL (Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, X-ray Free Electron Laser) has been proposed to meet the increased demands of XFEL science. A photon energy ranging between 1.5 to 10 keV was determined to cover low photon energy with enhanced FEL pulse energy of about 3.0 mJ, and to cover mostly used range between 8 to 10 keV simultaneously. Accordingly, baseline design of the electron beamline was completed using MAD-X code. Here, to avoid physical overlap of the beamline elements, a dog-leg transport line is installed. In addition to first-order optics design, complete start-to-end simulation is performed to understand the evolution of the 6D electron beam phase space and to optimize the beam parameters such as energy chirp, energy spread, and emittance at the entrance of the undulator. In this study, we will show the start-to-end simulation by using Impact-T for injector section and ELEGANT for the remaining sections from linac modules to the end of the HX2 undulator line. Particularly, we will discuss whether coherent synchrotron radiation effects along the dog-leg section is suppressed so that the beam phase space distortion is minimized. Plus, we will introduce planned R&D activities such as AI/ML-based injector operation (virtual machine) and various studies on the XFEL modes such as multi-bunch operation, enhanced SASE (ESASE), and THz FEL.

High current electron bunches with lower emittance and slice energy spread are required to generate the intense XFEL. However, it is difficult to maintain the emittance and slice energy spread during the bunch compression at magnetic bunch compressors (BC). The higher current peaks in the head and tail of compressed bunches spoil the core slices by the wakefield and coherent synchrotron radiation. We suppress these collective effects by the bunch spacing with a laser heater (LH) and collimators. Head and tail slices can be eliminated by collimators in the BCs. The effects from the head and tail slices are strongly suppressed to dilute them by the intense laser heating in the LH. In this paper, we present the bunch spacing with the LH and collimators in simulations and experiments. Also, we present the FEL improvement by these bunch spacing.

We experimentally and numerically demonstrate that electron beam energy spread produced by laser heating can be used for shaping electron beam current profile. In particular, we introduce this method for generating attosecond pulse duration X-ray free electron laser. Electron beam scattering material (slotted foil) is additionally used for final selection of the effective current profile. This study is based on the beamline design of the hard x-ray free electron laser at Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL).

Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) copper linac typically functions in a single bunch mode, having a repetition rate of 120 Hertz. Numerous internal projects and external user experiments at the LCLS necessitate X-ray pulse trains consisting of two or multiple pulses. Previously we have reported on implementing a system of two ultra-fast stripline kickers, aimed at correcting pulse train machine trajectory differences. In this proceeding we report on the installation of the second pair of kickers, and discuss other improvements that were made. Our work is particularly focused on long pulse separation, greater than 200 ns.

Cavity-based X-ray free electron laser (CBXFEL) is the proposed scheme to dramatically improve stability and coherence of the existing XFELs. A project to demonstrate proof-or-principle CBXFEL is underway at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, in collaboration with Argonne National Lab (ANL, USA) and RIKEN Research Institute (Japan). CBXFEL is expected to operate at 9.831 keV photon energy, using synthetic diamonds as cavity Bragg mirrors. LCLS copper linac will deliver two electron bunches 624 RF buckets apart, resulting in the total X-ray cavity size of about 65500.87 mm. In this proceeding, we present the final design of the X-ray cavity, including photon and electron beam subsystems, and report on projected performance and current installation status.

The LCLS-II is a high repetition rate upgrade to the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and will offer photon science users an unprecedented million pulses per second. However, the accelerating gradient on the cathode of the Very-High-Frequency photoinjector is relatively lower compared to traditional electron guns, the longitudinal beam dynamics become more complicated as required to achieve bunch current high of kA. This paper presents the simulation study of twin-bunch generation in the LCLS-II and analyzes the feasibility of corresponding experimental demonstration in the LCLS-II.

An ultrafast laser system for driving the photocathode RF gun at the European XFEL has been recently put into operation. The new laser system, NExt generation PhotocAthode Laser (NEPAL) is capable of providing drive laser pulses of variable pulse lengths and shapes, supporting the facility to extend its capabilities to operate in multiple user-desirable FEL modes. In this paper, we present a preliminary characterization of the low-emittance electron beams produced by NEPAL in the photoinjector. Both experimental and numerical results will be presented and discussed.

Scientific opportunities with very hard XFEL radiation demands dedicated facility development towards FEL operation in the sub-ångström regime. Very hard X-rays provide capabilities of high Q-range coverage and high penetration, and also allow access to the K-edge spectroscopy of high-z materials. Production of such X-rays using FELs takes advantage of general FEL characteristics such as large coherence, short pulse option, variable pump-probe delay control and higher brightness compared to conventional storage ring sources. R$\&$D activities in the characterization and production of high energy photon beams beyond 25 keV has been launched since 2021 at the EuXFEL. Photon beams of 30 keV have been produced, characterized and delivered to experimental hutches. In this paper, we give an overview of the overall development. Obtained results will be discussed.

Light with polarization structure is called Fully Structured Light (FSL). We present an experimental demonstration of coherent FSL EUV light with spatially varying states of polarization generated at the FERMI free electron laser (FEL) in Trieste, Italy. Control of the polarization is obtained through the overlap of radiation emitted in orthogonally polarized helical undulators with different transverse phase distributions. The spatial polarization structure was mapped by imaging the light downstream of a polarizer, and two classes of FSL were observed and characterized: cylindrical vector and Poincare beams.

The soliton-like superradiant regime in a free-electron laser is a fully non-linear phenomenon in which the bandwidth of a short pulse can be coherently broadened as the pulse is amplified. As such, superradiance has long been considered a promising route towards high-power ultrashort pulses exceeding the natural bandwidth of high-gain FELs. This regime has now been observed in several experiments from the infrared to the X-ray energy range. These experiments have confirmed intriguing effects such as the generation of self-similar pulses and coherent bandwidth broadening beyond the linear amplification bandwidth. I will review the existing experimental evidence for soliton-like superradiant behavior and compare these results with theoretical predictions.

Attosecond X-ray free-electron lasers can deliver isolated sub-fs pulses with a peak power that surpasses conventional table-top sources by more than six orders of magnitude in the soft X-ray region [1]. The intensity at the focus is sufficient for non-linear X-ray spectroscopy methods, and two-color configurations enable applications such as attosecond pump/attosecond probe experiments. I will discuss the development of attosecond XFELs at the Linac Coherent Light Source: from the demonstration of isolated soft X-ray pulses with the XLEAP project, to the recent development of terawatt-scale pulses and attosecond pump/probe capabilities. I will also present our plans for attosecond science with the LCLS-II linac, which will enhance the available repetition rate by up to four orders of magnitude (up to 1 MHz [2]).

The ongoing Plasma-driven Attosecond X-ray source experiment (PAX) at FACET-II aims to produce coherent soft X-ray pulses of attosecond duration using a Plasma Wakefield Accelerator [1]. These kinds of X-ray pulses can be used to study chemical processes where attosecond-scale electron motion is important. For this first stage of the experiment, PAX plans to demonstrate that <100 nm bunch length electron beams can be generated using the 10 GeV beam accelerated in the FACET-II linac and using the plasma cell to give it a percent-per-micron chirp. The strongly chirped beam is then compressed in a weak chicane to sub-100 nm length, producing CSR in the final chicane magnet at wavelengths as low as 10s of nm. In this contribution we describe the commissioning of the spectral diagnostics as well as the results expected of this experiment. Additionally, we describe a future iteration of the experiment in which short undulators are used to drive coherent harmonic generation to produce attosecond gigawatt X-ray pulses at 2 and 0.4 nm, with lengths comparable to the shortest attosecond pulses ever measured at 2 nm using HHG.

We show how a chicane with anomalous dispersion can be used to compress an electron beam into a narrow, high-current, spike by exploiting the intrinsic chirp created by collective effects. We explore the limits of compression in a linearized model and then apply these beams to impulsively pump valence electrons. In the limit of an ultrashort electron beam, the valence electron wave-packet is accelerated so rapidly that the excited state forms an image of the bound state, allowing for unique insight into the structure of the electronic states of a molecule.

LCLS-II-HE is an energy upgrade of the LCLS-II linac from 4 GeV to 8 GeV. The X-ray FEL photon energy (Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission mode) will extend towards 12 keV (from the present 5 keV) based on the current beam emittance. To reach higher photon energy range towards 20 keV, a new injector with a much brighter electron beam will be required. Here we study an X-ray regenerative amplifier FEL (XRAFEL) configuration that enables reaching 20 keV photon energy with the current LCLS-II injector parameters, by reamplifying the cavity-returned X-rays in the LCLS-II undulator over multiple passes. At 20 keV, the Bragg mirrors have very narrow angular and wavelength acceptances. In this paper, we discuss how to layout the cavity optics in combination with the electron-beam based Q-switching method to generate fully coherent bright high-energy X-rays with 20 meV spectral bandwidth.

The UK XFEL project is now mid-way through its three-year Conceptual Design and Options Analysis (CDOA) phase. The purpose of this phase is to develop concepts to meet the required ‘next-generation’ XFEL capabilities identified in the project’s peer-reviewed Science Case, developed by UK scientists. The envisaged next-generation features are a step-change in both the number of simultaneous experiments and in their capability – through multiple, combinable FEL sources delivering transform limited pulses across a wide range of photon energies and pulse durations, together with a comprehensive array of synchronised sources including high power lasers and particle beams. The project is assessing options to achieve this either via a new UK-based facility or by investment at existing XFELs, based on criteria that include performance, cost, and environmental sustainability. The project is holding a series of Town Hall meetings and workshops around the UK (see https://xfel.ac.uk) and is expanding collaborations nationally and internationally.

High-power attosecond X-ray pulses are ideal probes of ultrafast nonlinear interactions in quantum systems. We demonstrate the production of soft X-ray pulses with terawatt-scale peak powers and few hundred attosecond pulse durations in a two-stage cascaded X-ray free-electron laser. We diagnose the pulse properties in the time domain with angular streaking. Our results exceed the peak power of previous state-of-the-art attosecond XFELs by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, our data provides strong evidence of operation in the soliton-like superradiant regime of the free-electron laser at X-ray wavelengths.

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) have emerged as a promising counterpart to high harmonic generation sources for scientific applications requiring high power attosecond X-ray pulses. To date, attosecond XFELs have specialized in producing isolated pulses enabling the study of nonlinear ultrafast science in the impulse regime. We present a method to coherently shape the spectrotemporal characteristics of attosecond X-ray free-electron laser pulses, offering a path towards broader coherent bandwidths and more versatile control of pulse amplitude and phase. We show that with undulator tapering in a fresh slice reamplification scheme, it is possible to produce phase-stable pulse pairs with tunability in color and temporal separation, phase-stable pulse trains, and flexibly chirped pulses. Our method enables bandwidth broadening for attosecond X-ray FELs and offers a path towards sub-100 as pulse duration at soft X-ray wavelengths.

In free-electron lasers seeded by a coherent pulse, the term superradiance refers to a regime in which the seed pulse is consistently shortened by a slippage-dominated interaction with the electron beam. This regime is extremely promising for attosecond X-ray free-electron lasers in particular, as it offers a potential path towards shorter, higher power pulses. We study the practical limits of this regime in two directions. First, we study numerically and analytically the conditions under which superradiant behavior is observed. Second, we study the limits of superradiant amplification, in particular how long this nonlinear interaction can be prolonged for realistic beam conditions.

SLAC's LCLS-II is rapidly advancing towards MHz repetition rate attosecond X-ray pulses, opening new opportunities to leverage the abundance of data in combination with advances in machine learning (ML) to better align the x-ray source with specific experimental goals. We approach the challenge from both ends of the facility. Starting at the X-ray output, we showcase our low latency, high throughput ML algorithms implemented at-the-edge for X-ray detection and reconstruction in the Multi-Resolution 'Cookiebox' (MRCO) angle resolved electron spectrometer with its 16 electron time-of-flight detectors. MRCO performs spectro-temporal characterization of X-ray profiles with a resolution that allows single shot identification of well-seeded shots versus SASE background at MHz rate. MRCO enables fast feedback, so we also tackle the problem as a control issue, focusing on programmable photoinjector laser shaping to adjust the initial electron bunch. Towards this end of using advances in ML to explore the parameter space for optimizing X-ray production, we present our progress towards a digital twin linking the photoinjector laser all the way through MRCO in the endstation diagnostics.

The FLARE project aims to investigate special operation modes of the laser heater at the free-electron laser FLASH in Hamburg that enable the generation of few- or possibly sub-femtosecond soft X-ray pulses. To this end, laser pulses of the laser heater are split and then recombined after one pulse has been delayed. By controlling the interference of both pulses via their temporal overlap, a longitudinally non-uniform heating of the electron bunches can be achieved. Utilizing this, two short-pulse generation schemes are to be implemented as part of the FLARE project. In the first scheme, the energy spread of the bunch is increased to a degree that inhibits lasing, leaving only a small unheated region which emits a short FEL pulse. The second scheme works by imprinting an energy modulation with a linearly increasing amplitude onto the longitudinal phase-space distribution of the bunch. In subsequent magnetic chicanes, this phase-space structure results in a localized compression of the bunch, creating an extremely short current spike, which might be used to produce an X-ray pulse on the same time scale. The FLARE setup as well as first experimental results are presented.

We report on a week-long study of a conceptual design of EUV FEL light source based on an energy recovery linac with on-orbit laser plasma accelerator injection scheme. We carried out this study during USPAS Summer 2023 session of Unifying Physics of Accelerators, Lasers and Plasma applying the art of inventiveness TRIZ. An ultrashort Ti-sapphire laser accelerates electron beams from a gas target with mean energy of 20 MeV, which are then ramped up to 1 GeV in a five-turn scheme with a series of fixed field alternating magnets and two superconducting RF cavities (100 MeV per cavity per turn). The electron beam is then bypassed to an undulator line optimized to generate EUV light of 13.5 nm at kW level in a single pass.

This work presents the design of a compact high-efficiency terahertz source, a collaborative effort between UCLA and RadiaBeam Technologies. The system, driven by a thermionic RF gun, features prebunching elements including alpha-magnet and electromagnetic chicane to effectively compress the long beam generated from the gun. By sending such beam into tapering enhanced waveguide oscillator, we can achieve high efficiency energy extraction in different regimes. This work focuses on the beam dynamics in the beamline prior injection into the undulator. A brief mention of the simulation results for radiation generation is also presented.

A single-pass THz free-electron laser (FEL) at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) was designed and implemented for a proof-of-principle experiment on a tunable high-power THz source for pump-probe experiments at the European XFEL. THz pulses are generated at a radiation wavelength of 100 μm within a 3.5 m long, strongly focusing planar LCLS-I undulator. High gain is achieved by driving the FEL with high brightness beams from the PITZ photoinjector at 17 MeV and a bunch charge of up to several nC. In addition to the mechanisms of self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE), seeding of the THz-FEL by electron bunch modulation at the photocathode is also being investigated. The experimental results, including the gain curves and spectral properties of the THz-FEL radiation, are presented in comparison with theoretical predictions and numerical simulations.

The first operational high peak and average power THz self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free electron laser (FEL) at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) has demonstrated up to 100 uj single pulse energy at a center frequency of 3 THz from electron bunches of 2-3 nC. The measured shot-to-shot radiation pulse energy has a fluctuation of 10%. Shot-to-shot stability and temporal coherence in FELs can be greatly enhanced by the seeding method. In this paper, we propose the use of dielectric-lined waveguides (DLW) to enhance the initial seeding signal. Simulations of using electromagnetic wakefield in DLW to introduce energy modulation to the beam, controlling the conversion between energy modulation and density modulation, and space charge dominated beam matching in the chicane bunch compressor and the undulator will be presented.

Cavity-based XFEL, or CBXFEL, is a future photon source concept under intense development at SLAC. It is considered a path towards full 3D coherence at angstrom wavelength, delivering another 2-3 orders of magnitude leap in source brightness compared to current XFELs configurations. In a first phase of the project, one of the goals is to demonstrate the regenerative amplification by returning and amplifying the seed pulse from 7 LCLS Hard X-ray Undulators (HXUs) with a rectangular crystal cavity. In this paper, we report on the recent measurement of early stage XFEL lasing characteristics at 9.831 keV photon energy by using 7 LCLS HXUs under e-beam conditions close to those chosen for the first phase of CBXFEL gain demonstration.

The paper introduces design and optimization of a high-repetition-rate infrared terahertz free-electron laser (IR-THz FEL) facility, which leverages optical resonator-based FEL technology to achieve a higher mean power output by increasing pulse frequency. Electron beam of the facility will be generated from a photocathode RF gun injector and further accelerated with a superconducting linear accelerator. Taking into account the collective effects, such as space charge, coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR), and longitudinal cavity wake field impacts, beam dynamics simulation for the injector, the accelerator, as well as the bunch compressor, has been done with codes of ASTRA and CSRTrack. With optimized microwave parameters of the linac, current profile with good symmetry has been obtained and the peak current can reach 100 A.

Manipulation electron beam phase space technology by laser-electron interaction has been widely used in accelerator-based light sources. The energy of the electron beam can be modulated effectively under resonant conditions by using an intense external laser beam incident into the undulator together with the electron beam. Enhancing the modulation efficiency is crucial for the performance of high repetition rate seeded free electron lasers (FELs) and other related devices. In this paper, we propose a new scheme to augment the efficiency of laser-electron interaction by employing the interaction between a vortex beam and an electron beam within a helical undulator. Three-dimensional time-dependent simulation results indicate that the modulation repetition rate of laser-electron interaction using a vortex beam can be improved by one order of magnitude over the conventional Gaussian beam at the same input power.

A new infrared Free-Electron Laser (FEL) facility FELiChEM has been established as an experimental facility at the University of Science and Technology of China. It consists of two free electron laser oscillators which produce mid-infrared and far-infrared lasers covering the spectral range of 2-200 μm at the present stage. The output power is a crucial parameter for users, and it is usually achieved by an out-coupling hole located in the center of a cavity mirror. Nevertheless, the spectral gap phenomenon has been observed in FEL oscillators with partial waveguides as the output power is highly dependent on the mode configuration before the out-coupling mirror. Such power gaps have an adverse effect on experimental results since numerous experiments require continuous spectral scanning. In this paper, we propose the utilization of multiple out-coupling holes on the cavity mirror, instead of relying solely on a central out-coupling hole, to reduce the adverse impact of the spectral gap phenomenon.

To explore and detect novel effects and mechanisms inherent in materials, a tenable wavelength terahertz free electron laser (THz-FEL) is integrated into the terahertz near-field high-throughput material property testing system (NFTHZ). Employing a compact linear accelerator capable of adjusting electron energy within the range of 10 to 18 MeV as the injector, pre-bunching of electron bunches is implemented to create longitudinal spacing structures by manipulating the driving laser. By appropriately correlating the forming factor of electron bunches, electron beam energy at the undulator entrance, and the undulator K value, a terahertz free electron laser with peak power in the megawatt range and a central wavelength spanning from 0.5 to 5 THz can be achieved. This article provides an overview of the development progress of THz-FEL within the NFTHZ framework.

SHINE (Shanghai Hard X-ray FEL Facility) is a high repetition rate X-FEL facility under construction in Shanghai, China. The facility is based on an 8 GeV CW superconducting linac and plans to have 3 undulator lines and 10 experimental stations in phase-I, covering the photon energy range of 0.4 – 25 keV. Mass production of the components and installation of the machine are in course. User experiments are expected to start in 2025. This presentation summarizes the proposed configuration and the status of R&D and production for the critical components and systems, discussing the key technologies. The current status of the project and  the plans leading to the completion will be presented, outlining the major scientific goals of the facility.

Free electron lasers (FEL) have made significant progress in the last decade, offering unique opportunities of high brightness radiation to the users’ community. Various advanced schemes aiming at achieving fully coherent, stable X-ray pulses are proposed and are actively being investigated and developed. Self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) can be used to generate intense coherent radiation starting from electron shot noise and is the most common approach for X-ray FELs. SASE has limited temporal coherence and pulse stability due to its noisy startup, but it allows generating ultrashort X-ray pulses from hundreds of femtosecond down to hundreds of attosecond in duration. Alternatively, external seeding schemes, like HGHG and EEHG, and self-seeding are being applied or proposed to allow for the generation of fully coherent FEL pulses in many laboratories. After a review of the present state of the art, the presentation  will concentrate on perspectives of the new advanced schemes being proposed and developed at various facilities worldwide.

PAL-XFEL has achieved successful operation with both SASE and self-seeding modes. In an effort to broaden the capabilities of PAL-XFEL, research has been conducted on the generation of two-color XFEL pulses, leading to the development of two additional modes: two-color XFEL with time delay and pulse duration control, and time-synchronized two-color XFEL. In the first mode, a dipole magnet at the self-seeding section and a slotted foil at the bunch compressor are utilized. The pump and probe XFEL pulses are generated from undulators before and after the self-seeding section, respectively. The time delay between the pulses can be controlled using the dipole magnet, and the pulse duration can be manipulated using the triangular slotted foil. For the second mode, phase shifters are employed. Typically, phase shifters are used to optimize FEL intensity by matching the phase between the FEL pulse and the electron beam. However, by adjusting the phase shifter setting away from the matched condition, sideband spectra can be introduced, resulting in the generation of time-synchronized two-color XFEL pulses. The experimental results of these two additional modes will be presented.

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) photon beams are excellent tools for non-contact optical manipulation of matter in a broad photon energy range. A free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator is well-suited for studying OAM beams with various features including a wide spectral coverage, wavelength tunability, two-color lasing, etc. Here, we report the first experimental demonstration of superposed OAM beams from an oscillator FEL. Lasing at around 458 nm, we have generated superposed OAM beams up to the fourth order as a superposition of two pure OAM modes with opposite helicities. These generated beams have a high beam quality, a high degree of circular polarization, and high power. Using external rf modulation with frequencies from 1 to 30 Hz, we also developed a pulsed mode operation of the OAM beams with a highly reproducible temporal structure. FEL operation showcased in this work can be extended to higher photon energies, e.g. using a future x-ray FEL oscillator. The operation of such an OAM FEL also paves the way for the generation of OAM gamma-ray beams via Compton scattering.

The FERMI free-electron laser (FEL) facility has recently achieved a significant milestone with the successful implementation of the echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG) scheme in the FEL-1 amplifier line. This advancement is part of a broader upgrade strategy aiming at expanding the covered spectral range of the facility to the entire water window and beyond. Through this upgrade, the maximum photon energy of FEL-1 has been doubled and spectral quality has been enhanced. The updated FERMI FEL-1 is the first user facility operating in the spectral range 20-10 nm utilizing the EEHG scheme. It will serve also as the ideal test bench for conducting new machine studies in the perspective of future developments. In this contribution, we present the results obtained during the commissioning phase and the first user experiments.