Kittipong Techakaew. Development of mid-infrared free-electron laser at Chiang Mai University. Doctoral Degree(Physics). Chiang Mai University. Library. : Chiang Mai University, 2025.
Development of mid-infrared free-electron laser at Chiang Mai University
Abstract:
Mid-infrared free-electron lasers (MIR-FELs) with their unique properties and high quality, enable effective material characterization and modification by selectively exciting molecular vibrations, making them a crucial tool for advancing materials science and industrial technologies. Due to its advantages and usefulness, the project to develop the MIR FEL beamline is underway at the PBP-CMU Electron Linac Laboratory (PCELL) in Chiang Mai University for scientific research and advanced applications. This study focuses on designing diagnostic systems for electron beam characterization, MIR FEL evaluation, and radiation transport from the accelerator hall to the user experiment area. Precise beam control is essential for producing high-quality MIR FEL radiation. Simulations using ASTRA and GENESIS 1.3 software in previous works determined optimal electron beam parameters, including 25 MeV energy, 0.2 mm·mrad transverse emittance, 220 fs bunch length, and 62.5 pC bunch charge. In this work, diagnostic stations were optimized and developed to measure these properties. Energy and energy spread were determined using an energy spectrometer with systematic errors below 11% and 0.1%, respectively. The transverse emittance is measured using a quadrupole scan station with a systematic error lower than 14%. The electron bunch length is evaluated via terahertz transition radiation (THz-TR) using a Michelson interferometer with a systematic error of about 6% when considering the effect of transverse beam size on bunch length measurement. The MIR FEL beamline generates radiation wavelengths in a range of 9.512.9 μm with pulse energies of 0.30.4 μJ. Radiation properties are characterized using a pyroelectric detector for radiation power measurement, a two-axis linear stage equipped with a detector for transverse profile measurement, and an in-house developed monochromator with the best resolution of 2.5 nm. A 25-m transport system was designed using analytical calculations and ZEMAX simulations to ensure efficient delivery to the experimental area. The investigation wavelengths were extended to 20 μm to support longer wavelengths at lower electron beam energy. A maximum transmission efficiency of 54% at a radiation wavelength of 15 μm, mitigated by an enclosed nitrogen/dry-air filled beamline, consisting of uPVC tube and acrylic boxes. This work enhances the control and diagnostics of electron beam and MIR FEL as well as the transportation of the radiation, contributing to applications in surface engineering, polymer processing, semiconductor technology, biomaterials, and quantum materials. Future work aims to construct these optimized systems and integrate real-time feedback for beam optimization.