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The free electron laser (FEL) is the brightest available source of x-rays, surpassing other options by more than ten orders of magnitude. The FEL's short ($\sim$femtosecond), high power ($\sim$gigawatt), coherent x-ray pulses are uniquely capable of probing ultrafast and ultrasmall atomic and molecular dynamics and structure, making them an invaluable research tool for biology, chemistry, material science, physics, medicine, and other fields. Unfortunately, all extant x-ray FELs rely on long rf linacs and undulators, with a footprint of kilometers and a cost on the order of a billion dollars. This severely limits the number of x-ray FELs, with the half dozen existing installations funded at the nation state level. These facilities are significantly oversubscribed, to the detriment of scientific and technological progress. Therefore, attempts to reduce the size and cost of FELs are an active area of research in an effort to increase access to these powerful research tools, with the goal of making x-ray FELs affordable to universities and companies. One of the approaches being researched is the laser plasma accelerator (LPA). The LPA uses an ultra-high intensity laser to eject plasma electrons from a bubble region, producing longitudinal accelerating fields more than three orders of magnitude higher than what can be achieved in an rf linac. In principle, this could shrink the FEL accelerating section from the kilometer scale to a tabletop. To date though, despite continual progress and refinement over the last decade, LPA beam quality has not yet reached the level where it can be directly used as an FEL driver due to stringent constraints on the lasing dynamics.The BELLA FEL experiment at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab intends to decompress the beam to skirt some of the beam quality requirements, by stretching the beam longitudinally and reducing local energy spread. This dissertation will discuss the design and implementation of two subsystems essential for the successful operation of this experiment. The first of these is a coherent transition radiation bunch length diagnostic, which is required to measure the length of the LPA bunches and extrapolate other details about the experiment's performance. The second is an electromagnetic chicane which performs the decompression of the electron beam. A final chapter explores the use of advanced undulators to enable the next generation of LPA driven FELs without decompression and discusses methods for realizing such undulators.

An electron linear accelerator test facility located on UCLA’s southwest campus in Westwood, SAMURAI, is presently being constructed. A RF-based accelerator consists of a compact, 3 MeV S-band hybrid gun capable of velocity bunching to bunch lengths in the 100s fs range with 100s pC of charge. This beam is accelerated by an 1.5 m S-band linac with a peak output energy of 30 MeV which can be directed to either a secondary beamline or remain on the main beamline for final acceleration by a SLAC 3 m S-band linac to an energy of 80 MeV. Further acceleration by advanced boosters such as a cryo-cooled C-band structure or numerous optical or wakefield methods is under active investigation. In combination with a 3 TW Ti:Sapphire laser, initial proof of principle experiments will be conducted on topics including the ultra-compact x-ray free-electron laser, advanced dielectric wakefield acceleration, bi-harmonic nonlinear inverse Compton scattering, and various radiation detectors. Furthermore, development of a tertiary beamline based on an ultra low emittance, cryo-cooled gun will eventually enable two-beam experiments, expanding the facility’s unique experimental capabilities., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Plasma dynamics and crater formation of laser excited volumes in solids is a complex process due to thermalization, shockwave formation, varying absorption mechanisms, and a wide range of relevant physics timescales. The properties and interaction of such laser-matter systems can be modeled using an equation of state and opacity based multi-temperature treatment of plasma using a radiation hydrodynamics code. Here, we use FLASH, an adaptive mesh radiation-hydrodynamics code, to simulate the plasma expansion following after the initial energy deposition and thermalization of the column, to benchmark the results of experiments undertaken at UCLA on optical laser ablation. These computational results help develop a quantitative understanding of the material excitation process and enable the optimization of the gain medium delivery system for the x-ray laser oscillator project *., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Particle beams with highly asymmetric emittance ratios, or flat beams, are employed at accelerator facilities such as the AWA and foreseen at FACET-II. Flat beams have been used to drive wakefields in dielectric structures and are an ideal candidate for high-gradient wakefields in plasmas. The high aspect ratio produces a blowout region that is elliptical in cross section and this asymmetry in the ion column structure creates asymmetric focusing in the two transverse planes. The ellipticity of the plasma blowout decreases as the normalized peak current increases, and gradually approaches an axisymmetric column. An appropriate matching condition for the beam envelope inside the elliptical blowout is introduced. Simulations are performed to investigate the ellipticity of the resultant wakefield based on the initial drive beam parameters, and are compared to analytical calculations. The parameter space for two cases at the AWA and FACET facilities, with requirements for plasma profile and achievable fields, is presented., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Cryogenic operation and associated skin effects are encouraging fields of study for increasing RF gradients of beams within cavities and decreasing the required size for linear accelerators such as free electron lasers. Notably, a cavity’s RF quality factor Q, the ratio of the outgoing RF signal power to the input power, is theoretically multiplied by over 4 when subjected to cryogenic temperatures. Precise measurements of this Q factor require defining a cryostat unit, which consists of a high vacuum chamber, a coldhead, and MLI shielding. We optimized the cryostat by running several cool down tests at high vacuum, incorporating different geometries of MLI shielding to achieve the lowest possible temperatures. We then performed a low power C-band test after installing a cylindrical copper RF cavity to measure the Q factor. Finally, we improved stability and amplification within the chamber by installing edge welded bellows to the coldhead to reduce vibrations. These measurements provide a basis for the development of cryogenic infrastructure to sustain a cryogenic temperature environment for future RF applications., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Plasma wakefield acceleration using the electron linear accelerator test facility, SAMURAI, can be used to study the Jovian electron spectrum due to the high energy spread of the beam after the plasma interaction. The SAMURAI RF facility which is currently being constructed and commissioned at UCLA, is is capable of producing beams with 10 MeV energy, 2 nC charge, and 200 fsec bunch lengths with a 4 um emittance. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are used to study the beam spectrum that would be generated from plasma interaction. Experimental methods and diagnostics are discussed in this paper., Proceedings of the 5th North American Particle Accelerator Conference, NAPAC2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Producing higher brightness beams at the cathode is one of the main focuses for future electron beam applications. For photocathodes operating close to their emission threshold, the cathode lattice temperature begins to dominate the minimum achievable intrinsic emittance. At UCLA, we are designing a radiofrequency (RF) test bed for measuring the temperature dependence of the mean transverse energy (MTE) and quantum efficiency for a number of candidate cathode materials. We intend to quantify the attainable brightness improvements at the cathode from cryogenic operation and establish a proof-of-principle cryogenic RF gun for future studies of a 1.6-cell cryogenic photoinjector for the UCLA ultra compact XFEL concept (UC-XFEL). The test bed will use a C-band 0.5-cell RF gun designed to operate down to 45 K, producing an on-axis accelerating field of 120 MV/m. The cryogenic system uses conduction cooling and a load-lock system is being designed for transport and storage of air-sensitive high brightness cathodes., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Proposals for new linear accelerator-based facilities are flourishing world-wide with the aim of high spectral brilliance radiation sources. Most of these accelerators are based on electron beams, with a variety of applications in industry, research and medicine such as colliders, free-electron lasers, wake-field accelerators, coherent THz and inverse Compton scattering X/’ sources as well as high-resolution diagnostics tools in biomedical science. In order to obtain high-quality electron beams in a small footprint, we present the optimization design of a C-band linear accelerator machine. Driven by a novel compact C-band hybrid photoinjector, it will yield ultra-short electron bunches of few 100’s pC directly from injection with ultra-low emittance, fraction of mm-mrad, and a few hundred fs length simultaneously, therefore satisfying full 6D emittance compensation. The normal-conducting linacs are based on a novel high-efficiency design with gradients up to 50 MV/m. The beam maximum energy can be easily adjusted in the mid-GeV’s range. In this paper, we discuss the start-to-end beam-dynamics simulations in details., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Increasing brightness at the cathode is highly desirable for a diverse suite of applications in the electron accelerator community. These applications range from free electron lasers to ultrafast electron diffraction. Many options for higher brightness cathodes are under investigation notably semiconductor cathodes. We consider here the possibility for an alternative paradigm whereby the cathode surface is controlled to reduce the effective area of illumination and emission. We fabricated nanoblade metallic coated cathodes using common nanofabrication techniques. We have demonstrated that a beam can be successfully extracted with a low emittance and we have reconstructed a portion of the energy spectrum. As a result of our particular geometry, our beam possesses a notably high aspect ratio in its transverse plane. We can now begin to consider modifications for the production of intentionally patterned beams such as higher aspect ratios and hollow beams., Proceedings of the 5th North American Particle Accelerator Conference, NAPAC2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

A promising future for linear accelerators such as compact free electron lasers and electron positron colliders is higher gradient RF cavities enabled by cryogenic temperature operation. Breakdown rates have been shown empirically to be significantly reduced at low temperatures allowing for higher gradient. The surface physics associated with this observation is complicated and there many remain questions as to the exact phenomena responsible. One major figure of merit that can better inform the theory of breakdown is the RF surface resistivity which can be used to compute for example the RF pulse heating during operation. We then use techniques developed for previous Xband and Sband low power surface resistivity measurement by way of temperature dependent quality factor measurements to study Cband cavities. We first present a review of low temperature effects that may be responsible for the change in surface resistivity at low temperature. We then explain some of the initial measurements of these low power RF quality factor tests and compare them to a review some of the physical phenomena that could determine the low temperature surface effects., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

Xray free electron laser (XFEL) facilities in their current form are large, costly to maintain, and inaccessible due to their minimal supply and high demand. It is then advantageous to consider miniaturizing XFELs through a variety of means. We hope to increase beam brightness from the photoinjector via high gradient operation (>120 MV/m) and cryogenic temperature operation at the cathode (77K). To this end we have designed and fabricated our new CrYogenic Brightness-Optimized Radiofrequency Gun (CYBGORG). The photogun is 0.5 cell so much less complicated than our eventual 1.6 cell photoinjector. It will serve as a prototype and test bed for cathode studies in a new cryogenic and very high gradient regime. We present here the fabricated structure, progress towards commissioning, and beamline simulations., Proceedings of the 5th North American Particle Accelerator Conference, NAPAC2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

The dense drive beam used in plasma wakefield acceleration generates a linear focusing force that causes electrons inside the witness beam to undergo betatron oscillations, giving rise to betatron radiation. Because information about the properties of the beam is encoded in the betatron radiation, measurements of the radiation such as those recorded by the UCLA-built Compton spectrometer can be used to reconstruct beam parameters. Two possible methods of extracting information about beam parameters from measurements of radiation are machine learning (ML), which is increasingly being implemented for different fields of beam diagnostics, and a statistical technique known as maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). We assess the ability of both machine learning and MLE methods to accurately extract beam parameters from measurements of betatron radiation., Proceedings of the 5th North American Particle Accelerator Conference, NAPAC2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

A method to deduce the transverse self-wakefields acting on a beam, based only on screen images, is introduced. By employing derivative-free optimization, the relatively high-dimensional parameter space can be efficiently explored to determine the multipole components up to the desired order. This technique complements simulations, which are able to directly infer the wakefield composition. It is applied to representative simulation results as a benchmark and also applied to experimental data on skew wake observations from dielectric slab structures., Proceedings of the 5th North American Particle Accelerator Conference, NAPAC2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Dielectric Wakefield Acceleration (DWA) is a promising technique for realizing the next generation of linear colliders. It provides access to significantly higher accelerating gradients than traditional radio-frequency cavities. One impediment to realizing a DWA-powered accelerator is the issue of the transverse stability of the beams within the dielectric structure due to short-range wakefields. These short-range wakefields have a tendency to induce a phenomenon known as single-bunch beam breakup, which acts as its name implies and destroys the relevant beam. We attempt to solve this issue by leveraging the quadrupole mode excited in a planar dielectric structure and then alternating the orientation of said structure to turn an unstable system into a stable one. We examine this issue computationally to determine the limits of stability and based on those simulations describe a future experimental realization of this strategy., Proceedings of the 5th North American Particle Accelerator Conference, NAPAC2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

By shaping the transverse profile of a particle beam prior to an emittance exchange (EEX) beamline, drive and witness beams with variable current profiles and bunch spacing can be produced. Presently at AWA, this transverse shaping is accomplished with individually laser-cut tungsten masks, making the refinement of beam profiles a slow process. In contrast, a multileaf collimator (MLC) is a device that can selectively mask the profile of a beam using many independently actuated leaves. Since an MLC permits real-time adjustment of the beam shape, its use as a beam mask would permit much faster optimization in a manner highly synergistic with machine learning. Beam dynamics simulations have shown that such an approach is functionally equivalent to that offered by the laser cut masks. In this work, the construction and first results from a 40-leaf, UHV compatible MLC are discussed., Proceedings of the 5th North American Particle Accelerator Conference, NAPAC2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

The luminosity requirements of TeV-class linear colliders demand use of intense charged beams at high repetition rates. Such features imply multi-bunch operation with long current trains accelerated over the km length scale. Consequently, particle beams are exposed to the mutual parasitic interaction due to the long-range wakefields excited by the leading bunches in the accelerating structures. Such perturbations to the motion induce transverse oscillations of the bunches, potentially leading to instabilities such as transverse beam break-up. Here we present a dedicated tracking code that studies the effects of long-range transverse wakefield interaction among different bunches in linear accelerators. Being described by means of an efficient matrix formalism, such effects can be included while preserving short computational times. As a reference case, we use our code to investigate the performance of a state-of-the-art linear collider currently under design and, in addition, we discuss possible mitigation techniques based on frequency detuning and damping., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

The extremely intense beam generated at FACET-II provides the unique opportunity to investigate the effects of beam-driven GV/m fields in dielectrics exceeding meter-long interaction lengths. The diverse range of phenomena to be explored, such as material response in the terahertz regime, suppression of high-field pulse damping effects, advanced geometry structures, and methods for beam break up (BBU) mitigation, all within a single UHV vacuum vessel, requires flexibility and precision in the experimental layout. We present here details of the experimental design for the dielectric program at FACET-II. Specifically, consideration is given to the alignment of the dielectric structures due to the extreme fields associated with the electron beam, as well as implementation of electron beam and Cherenkov radiation-based diagnostics., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Solenoids for beam transport are typically wound helically, with each layer of wire being laid down on top of the previous, or as "pancakes" where the wire is wound radially in before crossing over and winding out. Both of these approaches break rotational symmetry and introduce higher-order multipole moments which can be deleterious to beam emittance. For high brightness beams, this can be particularly problematic. To this end, a solenoid employing multi-start foil windings is simulated and compared to conventional choices. With appropriate design, this approach can forbid certain multipoles by symmetry., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Wakefields in dielectric structures are a useful tool for beam diagnostics and manipulation with applications including acceleration, shaping, chirping, and THz radiation generation. It is possible to use the produced THz radiation to diagnose the fields produced during the DWA interaction but, to do so, it is necessary to effectively out-couple this radiation to free space for transport to diagnostics such as a bolometer or interferometer. To this end, simulations have been conducted using CST Studio for a 10 GeV beam with FACET-II parameters in a slab-symmetric, dielectric waveguide. Various termination geometries were studied including flat cuts, metal horns, and the "Vlasov antenna". Simulations indicate that the Vlasov antenna geometry is optimal and detailed studies were conducted on a variety of dielectrics including quartz, diamond, and silicon. Multiple modes were excited and coherent Cherenkov radiation (CCR) was computationally generated for both symmetric and asymmetric beams. Finally, we include witness beams to study transport and acceleration dynamics as well as the achievable field gradients., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

UCLA has recently constructed SAMURAI, a new radiation bunker and laser infrastructure for advanced accelerator research. In its first phase, we will build a 30 MeV photoinjector with an S-band hybrid gun. The beam dynamics simulation for this beamline showed the generation of the beam with the emittance 2.4 um and the peak current 270 A. FIR-FEL experiments are planned in this beamline. The saturation peak power was expected at 170 MW., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Future plasma acceleration experiments at FACET-II will measure betatron radiation in order to provide single-shot non-destructive beam diagnostics. We discuss three models for betatron radiation: a new idealized particle tracking code with Liénard-Wiechert radiation, a Quasi-Static Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code with Liénard-Wiechert radiation, and a full PIC code with radiation computed via a Monte-Carlo QED Method. Predictions of the three models for the E-310 experiment are presented and compared. Finally, we discuss beam parameter reconstruction from the double differential radiation spectrum., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

In this paper, we present a new class of a hybrid photoinjector in C-Band. This project is the effort result of a UCLA/Sapienza/INFN-LNF/SLAC/RadiaBeam collaboration. This device is an integrated structure consisting of an initial standing-wave 2.5-cell gun connected to a traveling-wave section at the input coupler. Such a scheme nearly avoids power reflection back to the klystron, removing the need for a high-power circulator. It also introduces strong velocity bunching due to a 90° phase shift in the accelerating field. A relatively high cathode electric field of 120 MV/m produces a ~4 MeV beam with ~20 MW input RF power in a small foot-print. The beam transverse dynamics are controlled with a ~0.27 T focusing solenoid. We show the simulation results of the RF/magnetic design and the optimized beam dynamics that shows 6D phase space compensation at 250 pC. Proper beam shaping at the cathode yields a ~0.5 mm-mrad transverse emittance. A beam waist occurs simultaneously with a longitudinal focus of 400 fs rms and peak current >600 A. We discuss application of this injector to an Inverse-Compton Scattering system and present corresponding start-to-end beam dynamics simulations., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

The ultra-compact x-ray free-electron laser (UC-XFEL), described in [J. B. Rosenzweig, et al. 2020 New J. Phys. 22 093067], combines several cutting edge beam physics techniques and technologies to realize an x-ray free electron laser at a fraction of the cost and footprint of existing XFEL installations. These elements include cryogenic, normally conducting RF structures for both the gun and linac, IFEL bunch compression, and short-period undulators. In this work, several stepping-stone, demonstrator scenarios under discussion for the UCLA SAMURAI Laboratory are detailed and simulated, employing different subsets of these elements. The cost, footprint, and technology risk for these scenarios are considered in addition to the anticipated engineering and physics experience gained., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

The dielectric wakefield acceleration (DWA) program at FACET produced a multitude of new physics results that range from GeV/m acceleration to the discovery of high field-induced conductivity in THz waves, and beyond, to a demonstration of positron-driven wakes. Here we review the rich program now developing in the DWA experiments at FACET-II. With increases in beam quality, a key feature of this program is extended interaction lengths, near 0.5 m, permitting GeV-class acceleration. Detailed physics studies in this context include beam breakup and its control through the exploitation of DWA structure symmetry. The next step in understanding DWA limits requires the exploration of new materials with low loss tangent, large bandgap, and improved thermal characteristics. Advanced structures with photonic features for mode confinement and exclusion of the field from the dielectric, as well as quasi-optical handling of coherent Cerenkov signals is discussed. Use of DWA for laser-based injection and advanced temporal diagnostics is examined., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

We propose here to exploit the quadrupole wakefields in an alternating symmetry slab-based dielectric wakefield accelerator (DWA) to produce second-order focusing. The resultant focusing is found to be strongly dependent on longitudinal position in the bunch. We analyze this effect with analytical estimates and electromagnetic PIC simulations. We examine the use of this scenario to induce beam stability in very high gradient DWA, with positive implications for applications in linear colliders and free-electron lasers., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Cryogenic regimes of operation are, for various reasons, highly advantageous for normal conducting accelerator structures. Liquid cryogen-based systems are costly to implement and maintain. As a result, developing cryogenic test facilities at a smaller more cost effective scale using cryo-coolers is attractive. Before real implementations of a cryo-cooler based beamline, a significant amount of information is necessary regarding the behavior and properties of various components and materials at cryogenic temperatures. Finding this information lacking for our particular beamline case and by extension similar electron beamlines, we endeavor to generate a thorough beamline-relevant material and component properties down to the range of a liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) and the nominal operating temperature of a modest Gifford-McMahon cryocooler (45 K)., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Producing higher brightness beams at the cathode is one of the main focuses for future electron beam applications. For photocathodes operating close to their emission threshold, the cathode lattice temperature begins to dominate the minimum achievable intrinsic emittance. At UCLA, we are designing a radiofrequency (RF) test bed for measuring the temperature dependence of the mean transverse energy (MTE) and quantum efficiency for a number of candidate cathode materials. We intend to quantify the attainable brightness improvements at the cathode from cryogenic operation and establish a proof-of-principle cryogenic RF gun for future studies of a 1.6 cell cryogenic photoinjector for the UCLA ultra compact XFEL concept (UC-XFEL). The test bed will use a C-band 0.5-cell RF gun designed to operate down to 40K, producing an on-axis accelerating field of 120 MV/m. The cryogenic system uses conduction cooling and a load-lock system is being designed for transport and storage of air-sensitive high brightness cathodes., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

X-ray laser oscillator, dubbed XLO, is a recently proposed project at SLAC to build the first population inversion X-ray laser. XLO utilizes a train of XFEL SASE pulses to pump atomic core-states. The resulting amplified spontaneous emission radiation is recirculated in a backscattering Bragg cavity and subsequently amplified. XLO could provide fully coherent, transform-limited X-ray pulses with 50 meV bandwidth and 1e10 photons. Currently, XLO is being considered for operation at the copper K-alpha line at 8048 eV. In this work, we focus on the optimization of gain medium delivery in the XLO cavity. We consider a fast, subsonic jet of copper nitrate solution, moving through a cylindrical nozzle. We focus on the nozzle geometry optimization and possible diagnostics of the jet-XFEL interaction point., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

The plasma photocathode concept, whereby a two-species gas mixture is used to generate a beam -driven accelerating wakefield and a laser-ionized generation of a witness beam, was recently experimentally demonstrated. In a variation of this concept, a beam-driven dielectric wakefield accelerator is employed, filled with a neutral gas for laser-ionization and creation of a witness beam. The dielectric wakefields, in the terahertz regime, provide comparatively modest timing requirements for the injection phase of the witness beam. In this paper, we provide an update on the progress of the experimental realization of the hybrid dielectric wakefield accelerator with laser injected witness beam at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA), including engineering considerations for gas delivery, and preliminary simulations., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Drive and witness beams with variable current profiles and bunch spacing can be generated using an emittance exchange beamline (EEX) in conjunction with transverse masks. Recently, this approach was used to create advanced driver profiles and demonstrate record-breaking plasma wakefield transformer ratios [Roussel, R., et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 044802 (2020)], a crucial advancement for effective witness acceleration. Presently, these transverse masks are individually laser cut, making the refinement of beam profiles a slow process. Instead, we have proposed the used of a UHV compatible multileaf collimator (MLC) to replace these masks. An MLC permits real-time adjustment of the beam masking, permitting faster optimization in a manner highly synergistic with machine learning. Beam dynamics simulations have shown that practical MLCs offer resolution that is functionally equivalent to that offered by the laser cut masks. In this work, the engineering considerations and practical implementation of such a system at the AWA facility are discussed and the results of benchtop tests are presented., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

We present the design of a Compton spectrometer for use at FACET-II. A sextupole is used for magnetic spectral analysis, giving a broad dynamic range (180 keV through 28 MeV) and the capability to capture an energy-angular double-differential spectrum in a single shot. At low gamma energies, below 1 MeV, Compton spectroscopy becomes increasingly challenging as the scattering cross-section becomes more isotropic. To extend the range of the spectrometer down to around 180 keV, we use a 3D-printed tungsten collimator at the detector plane to preferentially select forward-scattered electrons at the Compton edge., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

We report the progress in the design and construction of a population inversion x-ray laser oscillator (XLO) using LCLS as an x-ray laser pump, being developed by a SLAC, CFEL, University of Hamburg (Germany), University of Wisconsin, Josef Stefan Institute (Slovenia) and UCLA collaboration. In this proceeding, we will present the latest XLO design and numerical simulations substantiated by our first experimental results. In our next experimental step XLO will be tested on the Coherent X-ray Imaging (CXI) end-station at LCLS as a two pass Regenerative Amplifier operating at the Copper K_{α1} photon energy of 8048 eV. When built, XLO will generate fully coherent transform limited pulses with about 50 meV FWHM bandwidth. We expect the XLO will pave the way for new user experiments, e.g. in inelastic x-ray scattering, parametric down conversion, quantum science, x-ray interferometry, and external hard x-ray XFEL seeding., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand

XFELs today are capable of delivering high intensity pulse trains of x-rays with up-to MHz to sub-GHz frequency. These x-rays, when focused, can ablate a sample in a single shot, requiring the sample material to be replaced in time for the next shot. For some applications, especially serial crystallography, the sample may be renewed as a dilute solution in a high speed jet. Here, we describe the development and characterization of a system to deliver solid state sample material to an XFEL nanofocus. The first application of this system will be an x-ray laser oscillator operating at the copper Kα line with a ~30 ns cavity., Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand