Light source system and method of operation
AssigneexLight Inc.
InventorsDavid Douglas, Robert Legg, Christopher Mayes, Bruce Dunham, Joseph Conway, George Randal Neil, Christopher Pierce, Colwyn Gulliford
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Abstract
A light source system, preferably including one or more electron inputs, splitters, recombiners, and/or electron outputs, and optionally including one or more accelerator modules, input transports, radiator modules, and/or output transports. The system can optionally include one or more ancillary elements (e.g., electron optics elements). A method of operation, preferably including operating in a normal mode and/or operating in a backup mode.
Claims20
A light source system comprising:
- a first kicker configured to:
- receive a set of electron bunches defining a first and second input beam;
- and
- deflect electron bunches of the set such that the set of electron bunches is separated into:
- a first portion that propagates in a first direction, a second portion that propagates in a second direction different from the first direction, and a third portion that propagates in a third direction different from the first direction and different from the second direction;
- a second kicker configured to:
- receive the third portion, wherein the third portion comprises a first subportion and a second subportion;
- and
- deflect at least one of the first subportion or the second subportion, such that:
- the first subportion propagates in a fourth direction;
- and
- the second subportion propagates in a fifth direction different from the fourth direction;
- a first accelerator module configured to provide the first input beam to the first kicker;
- and
- a second accelerator module configured to provide the second input beam to the first kicker.
A method for light source operation, the method comprising:
- at a separating kicker:
- receiving an input electron beam comprising a plurality of electron bunches defining an input electron beam frequency f0;
- and
- imposing a first substantially periodic electromagnetic field defining a separating kicker frequency fs, wherein fs>f0/2, such that the input electron beam samples a first aliased kicker frequency fp, wherein fp≤f0/2, thereby spatially separating the input electron beam into a plurality of electron beams;
- after spatially separating the input electron beam into the plurality of electron beams:
- using a first electron beam of the plurality, generating a first optical output via free-electron lasing;
- and
- using a second electron beam of the plurality, generating a second optical output via free-electron lasing;
- and
- after generating the first and second optical outputs, at a recombining kicker:
- receiving the plurality of electron bunches;
- and
- imposing a second substantially periodic electromagnetic field defining a recombining kicker frequency fr, wherein fr>f0/2, such that a second aliased kicker frequency defined by the recombining kicker frequency and the input electron beam frequency is equal to the first aliased kicker frequency fp, thereby recombining the plurality of electron bunches into an output electron beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.