R&d towards a Delta-type Undulator for the Lcls*

The LCLS generates linearly polarized, intense, high brightness x-ray pulses from planar fixed-gap undulators. While the fixed-gap design supports a very successful and tightly controlled alignment concept, it provides only limited taper capability (up to 1% through canted pole and horizontal position adjustability) and lacks polarization control. The latter is of great importance for soft x-ray experiments. A new compact out-of-vacuum undulator design (Delta), based on a 30-cm-long in-vacuum prototype at Cornell University, is being developed and tested to add those missing properties to the LCLS undulator line. Tuning Delta undulators within tight, FEL type tolerances is a challenge due to the fact that the magnetic axis and the magnet blocks are not easily accessible for measurements and tuning in the fully assembled state. An R&D project is underway to install a 3.2-m long out-of-vacuum device in place of the last LCLS undulator, to provide controllable levels of polarized radiation and to develop measurement and tuning techniques to achieve x-ray FEL type tolerances. Presently, the installation of the device is scheduled for August 2014.