2010 R&D 100 Winner
X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) provide photon pulses that are intense, short in duration, and of small wavelength—perfect for a wide array of experiments in chemistry, biology, and physics. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, Calif., has developed a detector—the Energy Monitor for Ultrahigh-Brightness X-Ray Pulses—that provides non-intrusive measurement of the FEL beam in real-time, pulse-by-pulse.
The intense FEL beam, with a peak power of up to a few gigawatts, can easily saturate or even destroy commonly used solid-state detectors. The LLNL detector infers the total pulse energy from the ultraviolet (UV) radiation generated by a weakly absorbing gas that is traversed by the FEL beam. In operation, the ultrahigh-brightness x-ray beam traverses a vessel; nitrogen is excited, and emits fluorescence radiation that is detected with photon-multiplier tubes. The nitrogen gas is continuously replenished and maintained at a constant pressure by a series of pumping stages.
Technology
X-ray free-electron laser beam monitor
Developers
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Development Team
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| (L to R): Mark McKernan, Donn McMahon, Dmitri Ryutov, Richard Bionta, Daniel M. Behne, Keith Kishiyama, Stefan Hau-Riege, Vasco A. daCosta, Marty Roeben, Robert W. Geer
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The XFEL Energy Monitor Development Team:
Elden Ables, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Daniel M. Behn, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Richard Bionta, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Vasco A. daCosta, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Bob Geer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Stefan Hau-Riege, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Keith Kishiyama, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Jacek Krzywinski, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Mark McKernan, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Donn McMahon, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Marc Messerschmidt, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Marty Roeben, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Dmitri Ryutov, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Stewart Shen, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Alan Wootton, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
