Application of a plasma-based energy booster in operational free-electron lasers

TL;DR

This paper explores the integration of plasma-based energy boosters into existing X-ray free-electron lasers to enhance their performance, using simulations to evaluate potential improvements and practical applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates the feasibility and potential benefits of adding plasma accelerators as energy boosters to current FELs, a novel approach for upgrading these facilities.

Findings

Plasma-based boosters can significantly increase FEL energy output.

Simulations show improved beam quality and efficiency.

Potential for cost reduction and facility miniaturization.

Abstract

Plasma-based accelerators are a promising approach for reducing the size and cost of future particle accelerators, making them a viable technology for constructing and upgrading X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs). Adding an energy booster stage to the linear accelerator of an operational X-ray FEL is recognised as a realistic near-term application of plasma accelerators, with a significant impact on the scientific reach of these facilities. Here, we discuss potential use cases of such a plasma-based energy booster and apply particle-in-cell simulations to estimate its ability to enhance the performance of existing X-ray FEL facilities.