Mapping Photocathode Quantum Efficiency with Ghost Imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces a non-invasive, real-time method to map photocathode quantum efficiency using ghost imaging, eliminating the need for traditional laser raster scanning and enabling continuous operation monitoring.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel ghost imaging-based technique for QE mapping that avoids invasive procedures and can be applied during normal injector operation.

Findings

Successfully demonstrated at UCLA Pegasus with controlled illumination profiles.

Validated against traditional rastering method with high accuracy.

Applied to LCLS data showing feasibility for real-world use.

Abstract

Measuring the quantum efficiency (QE) map of a photocathode injector typically requires laser scanning, an invasive operation that involves modifying the injector laser focus and rastering the focused laser spot across the photocathode surface. Raster scanning interrupts normal operation and takes considerable time to setup. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel method of measuring the QE map using a ghost imaging framework that correlates the injector laser spatial variation over time with the total charge yield. Ghost imaging enables passive, real-time monitoring of the QE map without manually modifying the injector laser or interrupting injector operation. We first demonstrate the method at the UCLA Pegasus photoinjector with the help of a digital micromirror device (DMD) and a piezoelectric mirror to increase our control of the overall transverse variance of the illumination profile. The reconstruction algorithm parameters are fine-tuned using simulations and the results are validated against the ground truth map acquired using the traditional rastering method. Finally, we apply the technique to data acquired parasitically from the LCLS photoinjector, showing the feasibility of this method to retrieve a QE map without interrupting normal operation.