Enhanced FEL performance from superconducting undulators

Abstract Superconducting undulators offer potentially higher field strengths than either pure rare-earth permanent magnet (Pure-REPM) undulators or wedged pole hybrid (WPH) undulators. In FELs, optimum extraction is obtained for values of the rms undulator vector potential, a w , near unity. Superconducting undulators are capable of achieving a unity a w at smaller wavelengths than either Pure-REPM or WPH undulators, leading to improved extraction at the same optical wavelength and E field, while the e-beam energy is reduced slightly. The degree of improvement depends on whether the e-beam energy spread (including equivalent energy spread due to emittance) is much smaller or larger than the FEL bucket height. When the bucket is much larger than the energy spread, the extraction (at fixed gain) improves by up to 70% over that which can be achieved by the WPH design. When the energy spread is larger than the bucket, the extraction improvement is up to 35%. The superferric superconducting undulator design consists of a holmium back plane and poles with racetrack niobium-titanium multifilamentary windings. Magnetic field wavelength scalings have been determined using PANDIRA. Maximum current density vs wavelength was based on quench stability considerations. An important end result is that the forces and stresses present in undulators are much smaller than in dipoles, such as those of the SSC, so complex mechanical designs to constrain windings are not needed. The low stored energy in short wavelength undulators should keep temperatures during a quench under 150 K and voltages below 500 V. Point designs for both superferric and WPH undulators at both energy spread limits are presented.