The operation of the BNL/ATF GUN-IV photocathode RF gun at the Advanced Photon Source

Abstract

At the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), a free-electron laser (FEL) based on the self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) process is nearing completion. Recently, an RF photoinjector gun system was made available to the APS by Brookhaven National Laboratory/Accelerator Test Facility (BNL/ATF). It will be used to provide the high-brightness, low-emittance, and low-energy spread electron beam required by the SASE FEL theory. A Nd:Glass laser system, capable of producing a maximum of 500 /spl mu/J of UV in a 1-10 ps pulse at up to a 10-Hz repetition rate, serves as the photoinjector's drive laser. Here, the design, commissioning, and integration of this gun with the APS are discussed.