MIT X-ray Laser Project

An X-ray Laser at the Transform Limit:

Technical Challenges and Scientific Payoff
David E. Moncton
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
NSLS
February 20, 2004
MIT X-ray Laser Project

MIT X-ray Laser R&D Proposal
Contact: David E. Moncton, Director
Telephone: 617-253-8333
E-mail: dem@mit.edu
website: http://mitbates.mit.edu/xfel/indexpass.htm
Bates Senior Staff Contributors
Manouchehr Farkhondeh William M. Fawley James Fujimoto
Jan van der Laan Erich Ippen
Christoph Tschalaer
Ian McNulty
Denis B. McWhan
Fuhua Wang
Jianwei Miao
Michael Pellin
Abbi Zolfaghari
Mark Schattenburg
Gopal K. Shenoy
Townsend Zwart
Co-Principal Investigators Science Collaborators
William S. Graves Simon Mochrie Keith A. Nelson
Franz X. Kaertner Gregory Petsko Dagmar Ringe
Richard Milner Henry I. Smith Andrei Tokmakoff
MIT X-ray Laser Project
A Unique Opportunity An X-ray Laser User Facility
30 or more independent beamlines
Fully coherent milli-Joule pulses at kHz rates
Wavelength range from 200 nm to 0.1 nm
The Scientific Impact
Femtosecond pulse duration Chemistry
Condensed Matter Physics
Atomic Physics
Fundamental Physics
Biology Full transverse coherence
Milli-volt bandwidths
Full quantum degeneracy
High electric field
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Photon pulses would be transform-limited satisfying the
Uncertainty Principle in all six phase-space dimensions
Transverse Phase Space
Ax , Ay ~ 100 microns
Ak
x
, Ak
y
~ 10
-5
nm
-1
Longitudinal Phase Space
At ~ fs 1ps A ~ 2eV 2meV
Note that all 10
11
to 10
14
photons in each pulse would
occupy the same quantum state
MIT X-ray Laser Project
q=k
i
-k
f
=
i
-
f
Photon-in photon out Probes charge-neutral excitations:
Phonons, diffusive modes, orbitons,
superconducting gaps
Excitons, plasmons, particle-hole
creation, interband transitions
Inelastic X-ray Scattering (IXS)
ARPES measures A(q,), surface sensitive.
INS does not couple to charge, and requires large sample.
EELS cannot measure to large q, or in fields.
o(), Raman are restricted to q=0.
Complements existing techniques:
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Existing 3
rd
Generation IXS Beamlines
ESRF
APS
3 Beamlines with meV resolution, 2 more soon
1 Beamline with 100 meV resolution
2 Beamlines with eV resolution
ESRF APS Spring-8
MIT X-ray Laser Project
IXS with 3
rd
Generation Synchrotron Sources
Data taken on APS ID3
2.2 meV resolution
10
9
incident flux
Data shown took 6 hrs
TiOCl
E. Isaacs, Y. Lee, D. Moncton
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Large IXS Signal Gain with Bandwidth Seeded X-ray Laser
3 x 10
11
photons/pulse at 1 kHz = 3 x 10
14
ph/sec
Bandwidth seeding: 100 fs = 20 meV (P = 0.1nm)
10
13
ph/sec at 1 meV resolution
Bandwidth seeding: 1 ps = 2 meV
10
14
ph/sec at 1 meV
Compare with 10
9
ph/sec at 3
rd
Gen Sources
An intensity gain of 4-5 orders of magnitude will
revolutionize the study of the dynamics of
condensed matter
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Transient Grating Spectroscopy
or Time-Dependent IXS
Keith Nelson, Chemistry Department, MIT
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Next-generation backscattering analyzers
Variable resolution down to 0.1 meV
Decouple the incident energy and the resolution
Less demanding temperature stability
Using sapphire, any incident energy can be selected
(Yuri Shvydko, DESY)
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Accessible phase space
Time-Dependent Methods
Inelastic Scattering
MIT X-ray Laser Project
The Potential of a Transform-Limited X-ray Laser for
Inelastic X-ray Scattering
10
10
ph/sec in 1 meV bandwidth
S/N still too low for many experiments
Phenomena with AE < 1 meV not resolved by IXS
Generally phenomena with 1 ns > At > 1 ps are inaccessible
Bandwidth Seeded X-ray Laser
Up to 10
14
ph/sec in meV bandwidth
Transform-limited pulses reach Heisenberg limit At A ~ x
Time-dependent (or pump-probe) IXS for full t/E coverage
Third Generation IXS
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Photon pulses would be transform-limited satisfying the
Uncertainty Principle in all six phase-space dimensions
Transverse Phase Space
Ax , Ay ~ 100 microns
Ak
x
, Ak
y
~ 10
-5
nm
-1
Longitudinal Phase Space
At ~ fs 1ps A ~ 2eV 2meV
Note that all 10
11
to 10
14
photons in each pulse would
occupy the same quantum state
MIT X-ray Laser Project
To realize such a source, the most sophisticated laser
and accelerator technology must be integrated together.
The laser generates the coherent signal
MIT Ultrafast Laser Group
Franz Kaertner, Erich Ippen, et al
An accelerated electron beam amplifies and
frequency shifts the laser radiation
MIT Bates Laboratory
William S. Graves et al
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE)
e
-
Argonne APS first demonstrates
SASE at optical wavelengths
Gain of 10
7
LCLS project at SLAC aims to
demonstrate SASE at 0.15 nm
~100 fs
MIT X-ray Laser Project
X (fs)
A/ /)
The SASE radiation is powerful, but noisy!
One solution: Impose a strong coherent modulation with
an external laser source
A SASE FEL amplifies random electron density modulations
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Brookhaven laser seeding technology
Buncher
e
-
Laser
800 nm
Modulator
266 nm
output
Radiator
Suppressed SASE noise
Amplified coherent signal
Narrowed bandwidth
Shifted wavelength
High Gain Harmonic
Generation (HGHG)
SASE x10
5
HGHG
MIT X-ray Laser Project
To Produce Transform-Limited Pulses below 10 nm
Must get powerful short-wavelength seeds using High
Harmonic Generation methods
Then use cascaded High Gain Harmonic Generation
methods in FEL
Input
seed
0
1
st
stage 2
nd
stage N
th
stage
Stage 1 output at
5
0
seeds 2
nd
stage
Stage 2 output at
25
0
seeds 3
rd
stage
N
th
stage
output at 5
N

0
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Two different seeding regimes
Seeding for short (1 fs) pulsesbandwidth of a few eV
Seeding for narrow (meV) bandwidthpulse lengths 0.1 1.0 ps
MIT X-ray Laser Project
High pulse rates provide for many independent beamlines
CW operation provides much greater beam stability
Most important is minimizing electron arrival time jitter
Superconducting linac
technology is essential
Developed
at DESY
Seeded FEL requires 10 fs timing stability
at short wavelengths
CW Superconducting cavities will have
much less phase jitter
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
0 100 200 300 400
Time (s)

P
h
a
s
e
:

K
l
y
s
t
r
o
n

-

M
O
A

(
d
e
g
)
= 0.14 (150 fs)
Measured inside 10 s window
Copper linacs like Bates or LCLS have
jitter of 100s of femtoseconds
MIT X-ray Laser Project
MIT X-ray Laser Project
MIT X-ray Laser Project
0.3 nm 0.1 nm
UV Hall X-ray Hall
Nanometer Hall
SC Linac
4 GeV 2 GeV 1 GeV
1 nm
0.3 nm
200 nm
30 nm
10 nm
10 nm
3 nm
1 nm
Main oscillator
Pump
laser
Pump
laser
Seed
laser
Seed
laser
Seed
laser
Pump
laser
Fiber link synchronization
Injector
laser
Undulators
Undulators
Undulators
Upgrade: 0.1 nm
at 8 GeV
SC Linac
MIT X-ray Laser Project
LCLS performance from
SLAC website parameter
table.
MIT beamlines are 1 kHz.
LCLS is 120 Hz.
MIT covers wide spectrum
simultaneously with
multiple undulators.
LCLS limited by undulator
lattice to spectrum shown,
must tune energy for
different wavelengths.
Note steep falloff at short
wavelength for MIT due to
gun performance and 4
GeV energy.
Change in performance at
5 nm is due to beam
energy change from 1
GeV at longer
wavelengths to 4 GeV.
This is conservative
spectral flux density for
MIT. A 2 ps long pulse
would have 10 times the
flux in 1/10 the bandwidth.
Narrow bandwidth performance for MIT and LCLS
P
h
o
t
o
n
s

p
e
r

s
e
c
o
n
d
Wavelength (m)
12.4 eV 124 eV 1.24 keV 12.4 keV
MIT UV
AX = 200 fs
A = 10 meV
MIT X-ray
AX = 200 fs
A = 10 meV
LCLS
AX = 200 fs
A = 4 eV
MIT
3
rd
harmonic
LCLS
AX = 200 fs
A = 10 meV
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Wavelength (m)
P
h
o
t
o
n
s

p
e
r

s
e
c
o
n
d
12.4 eV 124 eV 1.24 keV 12.4 keV
MIT UV
LCLS
1 fs
10 fs
3 fs
30 fs
1 fs
CPA
MIT
X-ray
0.5 fs
Photons per second
assuming FEL output from
the short pulselengths
shown. LCLS uses electron
beam slicing, MIT uses short
seed pulse.
MIT beamlines are 1 kHz.
LCLS is 120 Hz.
Dots are minimum FWHM
pulselengths using FEL gain
bandwidth.
CPA pulselength accounts
for bandwidth and slippage.
CPA can be used at longer
wavelengths also. Slippage
limits the min pulse length to
be near the values shown at
each wavelength. The pulse
intensity would be increased
by 1-2 orders of magnitude.
Bandwidth ranges from 5e-4
at 0.3 nm to 1e-2 at 200 nm.
Short-pulse performance for MIT and LCLS
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Chirped Pulse Compression
d
i
d
f
P = 2d
E
t
100 fs
2eV
20 meV
P
i
P
f
P
i
P
f
For compression: 100 fs to 1 fs
Energy chirp/bandwidth > compression
Reflectivity/layer< pulse chirp
But extinction depth~ few pulse lengths
Crystal chirp > pulse chirp
MIT X-ray Laser Project
MIT Ultrafast Laser Group is developing:
Overall laser timing and synchronization below 10 fs
MIT X-ray Laser Project
MIT Ultrafast Laser Group is developing:
RF phase control and stabilization
MIT X-ray Laser Project
MIT Ultrafast Laser Group is developing:
Powerful short wavelength seed lasers
Phase
Controlled
5fs, 5mJ,
1 kHz
MIT X-ray Laser Project
High-Harmonic Generation with Noble gas jets (He, Ne, Ar, Kr)
XUV @ 3 30
nm
L = 10
-8
- 10
-5
Recombination
Propagation
-W
b

XUV
E
n
e
r
g
y
X
x
X
b
0
Laser electric field
Ionization
Phase
Controlled
5fs, 5mJ,
1 kHz
MIT Ultrafast Laser Group is developing:
MIT X-ray Laser Project
A focused, concept-driven R&D program is a pre-requisite
to an X-ray Laser User Facility incorporating many
beamlines and seeding for full coherence
Execute the critical laser related R&D to achieve necessary seed
power, wavelength, pulse duration, and timing synchronization
Work in collaboration with ANL, BNL, DESY to demonstrate seeding
and cascaded HGHG. Establish a facility at 100 nm for experimental use
Work in collaboration with DESY, Jlab, Cornell and others to optimize
SC RF technology for CW applications w/ 10
-5
amplitude control
Explore a new concept pioneered at Bates for greatly simplifying RF
systems and significantly reducing costs
Develop high rep-rate, high-brightness photoinjector and drive laser in
collaboration with LBNL
Collaborate with ANL and NHFML to optimize the LCLS undulator
design for variable gap performance
MIT X-ray Laser Project
1. Cascaded HGHG experiment. Future x-ray FEL facilities that generate fully
coherent radiation will require multiple cascaded HGHG stages starting from a
long wavelength seed laser.
2. Chirped pulse amplification using HGHG. Seed FEL with frequency-chirped
laser, amplify, and compress optical pulse to produce high power, short time
duration output.
3. Start-to-end simulation using measured parameters. Include beam-based
measurements of injector RF fields, thermal emittance, photocathode laser time
profile, undulator fields, and seed properties. Test codes including parmela, MAD,
elegant, and ginger.
4. Seeding with HHG. The Quantum Optics group at MIT is developing high
harmonic generation from conventional lasers for use as a short wavelength (10-
100 nm) seed. This has advantages over seeding with low harmonics including
requiring fewer HGHG stages, and generating pulse lengths approaching 1 fs.
Critical DUVFEL Experiments
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Develop a risk-based prototyping program for all critical components
Plan for a broad and inclusive User Program appropriate for a
National Facility
Educate the scientific community to develop beamline concepts and
execute the necessary R&D to support 10 initial beamlines
Leverage this R&D program with MIT educational programs to
involve graduate students, undergraduates, K-12 students and
teachers
And finally.
Develop the overall conceptual design, cost and schedule
data necessary for a decision to construct
We propose a 3-year $15M collaborative effort
centered at MIT
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Conclusions: Technical
A multi-beamline X-ray Laser User Facility can be conceived based on
existing technology combined with a focused 3-year R&D program.
A modular approach with 2 or more stages with increasing linac energy
would be a systematic approach, establishing capabilities and proving
technology at various cost/performance points versus wavelength.
Lower emittance electron guns would have enormous impact, enabling x-
ray wavelengths to be reached at conventional (6-8 GeV) energies.
Seeding technology would greatly improve performance with highly
synchronized transform-limited pulses, and seeding reduces undulator
gain lengths and associated costs.
CW SC RF is probably essential for synchronization stability, and since
cryogenic costs rise rapidly with linac energy and gradient, the lower
electron energies achieved with lower emittance guns will be very
important. Possible pulse structures are strongly influenced by this choice.
MIT X-ray Laser Project
Conclusions: Scientific
Transform-limited beams from seeded sources will enable science well
beyond SASE, for example . . .
Seeding for narrow bandwidth will enable pulses as long as 1 ps to have
a bandwidth of 2 meV. SASE sources monochromated to meV levels have
large fluctuations and low photon flux.
Seeding with for short pulses using CPA combined with compression
optics may allow femtosecond pulses containing 10
11
photons or more.
This is significantly higher than SASE and of crucial importance for
molecular imaging, and chemical dynamics studies.
Finally, I believe that virtually all experiments carried out at 3
rd
generation
sources are easily accomplished on such a source at lower facility cost.
This will not be an exotic facility for only niche experiments, but represents
a source of extraordinary power and flexibility with which all x-ray
experiments possible can be done.