Phase and amplitude feedback control system for the Los Alamos free-electron laser

Phase and amplitude feedback control systems for the Los Alamos free-electron laser (FEL) are described. Beam-driven voltages are very high in the buncher cavity because the electron gun is pulsed at the fifth subharmonic of the buncher resonant frequency. The high beam loading necessitated on novel feedback and drive configuration for the buncher. A compensation circuit has been added to the gun/driver system to reduce observed drift. Extremely small variations in the accelerator gradients had dramatic effects on the laser output power. These problems and how they were solved are described and plans for improvements in the feedback control system are discussed.