High-Charge S-Band Photocathode RF-Gun and Linac System for Radiation Research

Abstract

For sub-picosecond pump-and-probe-type radiation chemistry work, a new synchronized electron linac and laser system was installed in the Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory (NERL) of University of Tokyo. The new laser system, with a Ti:Sapphire oscillator (795 nm) and amplifiers, generates 300 ps pulses at 10 Hz. The laser is transported through the vacuum chamber and then split into two beams. The first is compressed and converted to the third harmonics (265 nm, <250 μJ, 4–11 ps) so as to drive the photocathode RF-gun and generate a pump-electron beam. The second is compressed to 100 fs and used for the probe light. The high-power RF, which is provided by a new 15 MW klystron, is divided into the gun and the accelerating section. Finally, a time jitter of 330 fs (rms) was achieved between the pump-electron beam and the probe laser, which is equivalent to the design value of 320 fs. A charge of 7 nC/bunch was observed at the exit of the gun from this new laser system. Improvement of the vacuum in the gun (<10-9 Torr) is the most effective way to obtain such a high-charge beam. After about three years of operation, the Cu photocathode has shown no degradation of quantum efficiency.