A 3D model of the 4GLS VUV-FEL conceptual design including improved modelling of the optical cavity
The Conceptual Design Report for the 4th Generation Light Source (4GLS) at Daresbury Laboratory in the UK was published in Spring 2006. The proposal includes a low-Q cavity (also called a regenerative amplifier) FEL to generate variably-polarised, temporally-coherent radiation in the photon energy range 3-10eV. A new simulation code has been developed that incorporates the 3D FEL code Genesis 1.3 and which simulates in 3D the optical components and radiation propagation within the non-amplifying sections of an optical cavity*. This code is used to estimate the optimum low-Q cavity design and characterise the output from the 4GLS VUV-FEL.
THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF THE 4GLS XUV-FEL
The Conceptual Design Report for the 4th Generation Light Source (4GLS) at Daresbury Laboratory in the UK was published in Spring 2006 [1]. A key component of the proposal is an XUV-FEL amplifier directly seeded by a High Harmonic source and operating in the photon energy range 8-100eV. Numerical modelling shows the FEL may generate 50fs (FWHM) pulses of variablypolarised, temporally-coherent radiation with peak powers in the range 2-8 GW.
4GLS AND THE PROTOTYPE ENERGY RECOVERY LINAC PROJECT AT DARESBURY
The 4GLS project is a novel next generation solution for a UK national light source proposed to be sited at Daresbury. It is based on an energy recovery linac (ERL) operating at high average beam currents up to 100mA and with compression schemes producing pulses in the 10100 fs range. This would provide a unique spontaneous emission source with high average brightness output both from undulators and bending magnets. In addition to this operating regime a high peak current mode would also be possible at lower duty cycle, enabling a high gain FEL amplifier to generate XUV radiation. Longer wavelength FELs are also planned. This challenging accelerator technology, new to Europe, necessitates a significant R&D programme and as a major part of this a low energy prototype, the ERLP, is being constructed at Daresbury. The paper summarises the ERLP design specification, describes the component solutions adopted and explains the 4GLS project status and plans.