We have developed crossed-undulator configuration to control the polarization of coherent THz radiation at the femto-second electron beam facility, t-ACTS [1], that has been established at Research Center for Electron Photon Science, Tohoku University. The t-ACTS linac equips a thermionic RF gun, a 3 m accelerating structure and a 50 MW klystron modulator. Ultra-short electron bunch (~80 fs) train can be supplied via velocity bunching scheme. The crossed-undulator system is consisted with two identical transverse undulators intersected by a chicane type phase shifter. Deflecting planes of two undulators are at right angles each other, and the phase shifter makes path length difference between the electrons and the radiation. Target radiation frequency is around 2 THz employing a beam energy of 22 MeV. Since electron bunch trails behind the radiation by the slippage-effect and the nonrelativistic-effect that the electron speed is a bit slower than the speed of light, the radiation from 1st undulator has to be much delayed rather than the electrons. The paper will report the characteristics of polarized radiation and designing work of the phase shifter.
The Athos line will cover the photon energy range from 250 to 1900 eV and will operate in parallel to the hard X-ray line Aramis of SwissFEL. The paper will describe the current layout of the Athos FEL line starting from the fast kicker magnet followed by the dogleg transfer line, the small linac and the 16 APPLE undulators. From there the photon beam passes through the photonics front end and the beamline optics before reaching the experimental stations AMO and FURKA. The focus of this contribution will be on the two bunch operation commissioning (two bunches in the same RF macropulse), which started in 2018, and the characterization of the major components like the APPLE X undulator UE38, the CHIC chicane and the dechirper. The Athos installation inside the tunnel is alternating with Aramis FEL user operation and the first lasing is planned for winter 2019 / 2020.
At the European XFEL a hard X-Ray SASE FEL (SA-SE1) and a soft X-Ray SASE FEL (SASE3) share in series the same electron beamline. This configuration couples the operation conditions for both undulators and their subsequent user experiments in terms of SASE intensity and background. We report on our experience in parallel operation and discuss the solutions that enable the operation of both undulators as independently as possible.
The SwissFEL soft X-ray free-electron laser (FEL) beamline Athos will be ready for user operation in 2021. Its design includes a novel layout of alternating magnetic chicanes and short undulator segments. Together with the APPLE X architecture of undulators, the Athos branch can be operated in different modes producing FEL beams with unique characteristics ranging from attosecond pulse length to high-power modes. Further space has been reserved for upgrades including modulators and an external seeding laser for better timing control. All of these schemes rely on state-of-the-art technologies described in this overview. The optical transport line distributing the FEL beam to the experimental stations was designed with the whole range of beam parameters in mind. Currently two experimental stations, one for condensed matter and quantum materials research and a second one for atomic, molecular and optical physics, chemical sciences and ultrafast single-particle imaging, are being laid out such that they can profit from the unique soft X-ray pulses produced in the Athos branch in an optimal way.
