Femtosecond Timing Distribution and Synchronization for XFEL's
Franz X. Käertner
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
For future advances in accelerator physics in general and seeded free electron lasers in particular, precise synchronization between low-level RF-system, photo-injector laser, seed radiation as well as potential probe lasers at the FEL output is required. We propose a modular system based on optical pulse trains from mode-locked lasers for timing distribution and timing information transfer in the optical domain to avoid detrimental effects due to amplitude to phase conversion in photo detectors. Synchronization of various RF- and optical sub-systems with femtosecond precision over distances of several hundred meters can be achieved. First experimental results demonstrating sub-50fs timing distribution in an accelerator environment will be presented.
