Jefferson Laboratory's kW-level infrared free-electron laser utilizes a superconducting accelerator that recovers about 75% of the electron-beam power. In achieving first lasing, the accelerator operated "straight ahead" to deliver 38-MeV, 1.1-mA cw current for lasing near 5 &mgr;m. The waste beam was sent directly to a dump while producing stable operation at up to 311 W. Utilizing the recirculation loop to send the electron beam back to the linac for energy recovery, the machine has now recovered cw average currents up to 5 mA, and has lased cw with up to 1720 W output at 3.1 &mgr;m.

This report describes the conceptual steps in reaching the design of the AWAKE experiment currently under construction at CERN. We start with an introduction to plasma wakefield acceleration and the motivation for using proton drivers. We then describe the self-modulation instability -a key to an early realization of the concept. This is then followed by the historical development of the experimental design, where the critical issues that arose and their solutions are described. We conclude with the design of the experiment as it is being realized at CERN and some words on the future outlook. A summary of the AWAKE design and construction status as presented in this conference is given in [1].

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Practically all synchrotron x-ray sources to data are based on the use of storage rings to produce the high current electron ͑or positron͒ beams needed for synchrotron radiation ͑SR͒. The ultimate limitations on the quality of the electron beam, which are directly reflected in many of the most important characteristics of the SR beams, arise from the physics of equilibrium processes fundamental to the operation of storage rings. It is possible to produce electron beams with superior characteristics for SR via photoinjected electron sources and high-energy linacs; however, the energy consumption of such machines is prohibitive. This limitation can be overcome by the use of an energy recovery linac ͑ERL͒, which involves configuring the electron-beam path to use the same superconducting linac as a decelerator of the electron beam after SR production, thereby recovering the beam energy for acceleration of new electrons. ERLs have the potential to produce SR beams with brilliance, coherence, time structure, and source size and shape which are superior to even the best third-generation storage ring sources, while maintaining flexible machine operation and competitive costs. Here, we describe a project to produce a hard x-ray ERL SR source at Cornell University, with emphasis on the characteristics, promise, and challenges of such an ERL machine.

A new THz/IR/UV photon source at Jefferson Lab is the first of a new generation of light sources based on an Energy-Recovered, (superconducting) Linac (ERL). The machine has a 160 MeV electron beam and an average current of 10 mA in 75 MHz repetition rate hundred femtosecond bunches.These electron bunches pass through a magnetic chicane and therefore emit synchrotron radiation. For wavelengths longer than the electron bunch the electrons radiate coherently a broadband THz $ half cycle pulse whose average brightness is 45 orders of magnitude higher than synchrotron IR sources. Previous measurements showed 20 W of average power extracted [Carr, et al., Nature 420 (2002) 153]. The new facility offers simultaneous synchrotron light from the visible through the FIR along with broadband THz production of 100 fs pulses with 4200 W of average power.The FELs also provide record-breaking laser power [Neil, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 (2000) 662]: up to 10 kW of average power in the IR from 1 to 14 mm in 400 fs pulses at up to 74.85 MHz repetition rates and soon will produce similar pulses of 300-1000 nm light at up to 3 kW of average power from the UV FEL. These ultrashort pulses are ideal for maximizing the interaction with material surfaces. The optical beams are Gaussian with nearly perfect beam quality. See www.jlab.org/FEL for details of the operating characteristics; a wide variety of pulse train configurations are feasible from 10 ms long at high repetition rates to continuous operation.The THz and IR system has been commissioned. The UV system is to follow in 2005. The light is transported to user laboratories for basic and applied research. Additional lasers synchronized to the FEL are also available. Past activities have included production of carbon nanotubes, studies of vibrational relaxation of interstitial hydrogen in silicon, pulsed laser deposition and ablation, nitriding of metals, and energy flow in proteins. This paper will present the status of the system and discuss some of the discoveries we have made concerning the physics performance, design optimization, and operational limitations of such a first generation high power ERL light source. r