Los Alamos Free-Electron Laser (FEL) RF system
Abstract
Free electron laser radio frequency system was designed for 3.6-MW RF pulses from two klystrons to drive two linacs and one deflection cavity at 1300 MHz. Two 108.33-MHz subharmonic buncher cavities and one fundamental buncher were also built, each powered by a 5-kW amplifier. A single phase-coherent source drives the various amplifiers as well as the grid of the electron gun, which is pulsed at 21.67 MHz. The initial buncher system did not work as well as expected, and the first linac tank required more RF power than anticipated. The light output was extremely sensitive to amplitude and phase errors. More powerful klystrons were developed and installed, and a method was discovered for operating a single subharmonic buncher and allowing the first linac to complete the bunching process. The actual configuration used to operate the laser is shown. Future improvements are discussed.
- Publication:
-
Presented at Particle Accelerator Conf
- Pub Date:
- May 1985
- Bibcode:
- 1985paac.confY....T
- Keywords:
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- Free Electron Lasers;
- Klystrons;
- Linear Accelerators;
- Radio Frequencies;
- Amplifiers;
- Bunching;
- Laser Applications;
- Phase Coherence;
- Phase Error;
- Lasers and Masers