Abstract
The SwissFEL soft X-ray free-electron laser (FEL) beamline Athos will be ready for user operation in 2021. Its design includes a novel layout of alternating magnetic chicanes and short undulator segments. Together with the APPLE X architecture of undulators, the Athos branch can be operated in different modes producing FEL beams with unique characteristics ranging from attosecond pulse length to high-power modes. Further space has been reserved for upgrades including modulators and an external seeding laser for better timing control. All of these schemes rely on state-of-the-art technologies described in this overview. The optical transport line distributing the FEL beam to the experimental stations was designed with the whole range of beam parameters in mind. Currently two experimental stations, one for condensed matter and quantum materials research and a second one for atomic, molecular and optical physics, chemical sciences and ultrafast single-particle imaging, are being laid out such that they can profit from the unique soft X-ray pulses produced in the Athos branch in an optimal way.
Highlights
Functional molecules and materials are of vital importance in today’s world
The most important difference of Athos in comparison with other free-electron laser (FEL) beamlines is the inclusion of small delaying chicanes between each undulator segment
Another unique scheme offered by the delaying chicanes is the high-power short-pulse mode, where a short radiation pulse can be shifted to a fresh, unspoiled part of the electron bunch, as long as the pulse is shorter than the delay (Prat & Reiche, 2015; Prat et al, 2015)
Summary
Functional molecules and materials are of vital importance in today’s world They can be part of catalytic systems to produce plastics or purify gases or synthesize fuels, ultrafast electronic switches and high-capacity magnetic storage media in information technology, or molecular complexes which govern cellular function and could cause hereditary disease. A new undulator geometry, APPLE X (Calvi et al, 2017; Schmidt & Calvi, 2018), has been developed for Athos, in which a transverse field gradient as well as full control of the polarization can be obtained The combination of these technical innovations opens the door to many different modes of operation providing a large variety of FEL properties. The commissioning of the undulator line should be completed in 2020 with user operation to follow in 2021
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