Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme
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A: Fachverband Atomphysik
A 20: Experiments with FLASH and FEL perspectives: an overview
A 20.1: Invited Talk
Thursday, March 13, 2008, 11:00–11:30, 3C
On the path towards table-top free-electron-lasers — •Florian Gruener1, Matthias Fuchs2, Raphael Weingartner2, Benjamin Marx2, Stefan Becker2, and Dieter Habs2 — 1Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Garching, Germany — 2University of Munich, Munich, Germany
One of the key projects within the Cluster of Excellence "Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics" (MAP) is the realization of a table-top free-electron-laser (FEL). In general, FELs are the world's most brilliant light sources allowing totally new experiments, such as "4D imaging" in the X-ray range like single molecule imaging. Owing to the immense size and costs, world-wide only a few X-ray FELs are planned and only a few VUV FELs are in operation. These large-scale FELs are based upon conventional electron accelerators. In contrast, we propose to utilize laser-plasma accelerated electrons with their unprecedented high peak currents. In principle this allows to shrink the size of an FEL down to meter-scale instead of tens or hundred of meters. In this talk the principle possibility is discussed as well as the milestones planned on the path towards the first proof-of-principle experiment. The potential of such future table-top FELs is immense as their smaller size and higher photon energies reachable than in case of large-scale XFELs would even allow the usage in hospitals for medical diagnostic (such as phase-contrast imaging for mammography). We also address applications in nuclear physics.