Review of some selected experiments on laser electron–beam interaction

Abstract

The third-generation 1.5 GeV electron storage ring DELTA, dedicated to synchrotron-radiation experiments, accelerator technology and UV FEL operation, was commissioned about 2 years ago at the Dortmund University. After the first successful lasing in the visible region (470 nm) beginning of this year, it is planned to obtain lasing also in the UV near 200 nm and then later to use the high average intracavity power and natural synchronization of electron and optical pulses to produce intense beams of high-energy γ-rays by Compton backscattering. Applying these γ-rays, a photo-fission experiment of importance for nuclear astrophysics is described. Since the time resolution of high-brightness synchrotron light sources is limited to more than 10 ps, it is envisioned to test a novel technique for generating sub-picosecond X-ray pulses based on the interaction of the electrons with a co-propagating beam of femtosecond photon pulses from an external TW-laser. This technique will be applied at DELTA by using its superconducting wiggler and a permanent-magnet undulator. Simulations show that a brilliance of 10 8 photons/(s mm 2 mrad 2 0.1% bandwidth) with pulse durations of the order of 100 fs can be achieved. Using the magnetic insertions of DELTA and an external TW-laser will further allow measurements for testing laser acceleration in the ultra-high vacuum of a storage ring and of radiation damping of the beam emittance on a fast time scale. First, results of laser-beam monitoring at the stretcher ring AmPS to determine the transverse beam emittance are presented and are intended to be performed also at DELTA. For these investigations the electron beam has been scanned at 90° with a high-power laser beam, and forward-scattered Compton photons were detected to derive the beam profile.