Performance of the elliptically polarizing undulator on SPEAR

Abstract

This is a description of the first tests of the elliptically polarizing undulator (EPU) on the SPEAR storage ring at SSRL. The EPU is the first device of its type; it is capable of producing vertically and horizontally plane-polarized light, and right and left circularly polarized light in the 500–1000 eV range. Tests of the EPU were done to characterize its effect on the electron beam in SPEAR. Even at minimum gap, motion of the EPU magnets to vary the polarization of the output radiation caused negligible changes in the tune or the steering of the electron beam, even with no compensation of the steering trim coils. Also measured was the polarization of x rays generated by the EPU using a newly developed multilayer polarimeter built to be efficient in the EPU’s energy range. The EPU produces nearly 100% plane and circularly polarized x rays. Using left and right circularly polarized radiation, tests of magnetic circular dichroism on magnetic multilayers were also performed.