Coherence properties of hard x-ray synchrotron sources and x-ray free-electron lasers

A general theoretical approach based on the results of statistical optics is used for the analysis of the transverse coherence properties of third generation hard x-ray synchrotron sources and x-ray free-electron lasers (XFEL). Correlation properties of the wavefields are calculated at different distances from an equivalent Gaussian Schell-model source. This model is used to describe coherence properties of the 5m undulator source at the synchrotron storage ring PETRA III. In the case of XFEL sources the decomposition of the statistical fields into a sum of independently propagating transverse modes is used for the analysis of the coherence properties of these new sources. A detailed calculation is performed for the parameters of the SASE1 undulator at the European XFEL. It is demonstrated that only a few modes contribute significantly to the total radiation field of that source. 1 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. New Journal of Physics 12 (2010) 035004 1367-2630/10/035004+23$30.00 © IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft