Building an Electron Accelerator
for Use in a Free-Electron Laser
by Daniel P. Mills
Why am I Building this?
The electron accelerator is the first step
in the free-electron laser system
The electron accelerator that was being
used at the beginning of the summer
was inadequate
With the electron accelerator, field
emission will be able to be created and
the current will be measured
What is a Free-Electron Laser?
A free-electron laser
(FEL) is a laser that takes
energy from an electron
beam, not from excited
atoms
An FEL works by first
accelerating the electron
beam, and then causing
the electrons to oscillate
and then spontaneously
emit photons
What went on in the lab?
Rebuild the Electron
Accelerator
Develop the
Computer-Based
Instrumentation
Get working Needle
Cathode Tips
The Rebuilding Process
Designing Parts – Visio
Ordering Pieces
Making Parts – Machine Shop
What was Made?
Cathode Holder and
Cathode sheath
Anode
Heater System
Computer-Based Instrumentation
All computer-based
instrumentation was done
exclusively in LabVIEW
LabVIEW runs the motion
controls, monitors the
temperatures, and
measures the voltage and
current in our system
Glassman Power Supply
Cathodes: How do they Work?
Making a Needle Cathode
Straightening
Tungsten Wire
Chemically Etching tip
of needle
Electron
Bombardment
Cathode Tips
Where We Were
Where We Are Now
Where do we go from here?