X-ray free-electron lasers: Scientific goals and machine implications

Free electron lasers are now being designed which will operate at wavelengths down to about 1. [1] The physics of the high-gain, single pass FEL process requires extremely bright electron pulses in the 10–20 GeV range. This electron brightness should be achievable using an RF-photocathode source and a linear accelerator, such as the initial acceleration stage of a TeV-range linear electron-positron collider. The x-ray FEL radiation produced will have unique properties. In particular: • The FEL peak intensity and peak brightness will be many orders of magnitude higher than can be produced by any other source. • The pulse length will be less than 1 picosecond, orders of magnitude shorter than can be achieved with any other bright source such as a synchrotron. • The FEL radiation will have full transverse coherence and a degeneracy parameter (photons/coherence volume) equal to 109 or more. No other source can produce hard x-radiation with a degeneracy parameter significantly greater than 1. These properties ...