FERMI longitudinal diagnostics: results and future challenges

The seeded FEL FERMI has completed the commissioning of both the FEL lines, and it is now providing the user community with a coherent and tunable UV radiation (from 100 nm to 4 nm) in a number of different configurations. These also include original FEL-pump - FEL-probe schemes with twin-seeded FEL pulses. Among the key systems for the operation of FERMI, there is the femtosecond optical timing system and dedicated longitudinal diagnostics, specifically developed for FERMI. In this paper, after a short review of the FERMI optical timing system and of its routinely achieved performances, we focus on the results obtained from the suite of longitudinal diagnostics (Bunch Arrival Monitor, Electro Optical sampling station and RF deflectors) all operating in single shot and with 10s fs resolution which demonstrate the FERMI achieved performances. The longitudinal diagnostics measurements are compared between these device and other device on shot-to-shot basis, looking for correlations between machine parameters. Finally future challenges in terms of improvement of existing diagnostics, planned installations and possible upgrades are discussed.