Search

Multi-alkali antimonide photocathodes can have high quantum efficiency similar as UV sensitive (Cs2Te) photocathodes, but with the advantages of photoemission sensitivity in the visible region of the light spectrum and a significant reduction in the mean transverse energy of photoelectrons. A batch of three KCs2Sb photocathodes was grown on molybdenum substrates via a sequential deposition method in a new preparation system at INFN LASA. Afterwards, the cathodes were successfully tested in the high gradient RF gun at PITZ. This contribution summarizes the experimental results obtained in both the preparation chamber and the RF gun. Based on those findings, we are now optimizing the recipe of KCs2Sb and NaKSb(Cs) photocathodes for lower field emission and longer lifetime, and the measurements for the latest photocathodes with the improved recipe are also presented.

A new generation of high-gradient normal conducting 1.3 GHz RF gun with 1% duty factor was developed to provide a high-quality electron source for superconducting linac driven free-electron lasers like FLASH and European XFEL. Compared to the Gun4 series, Gun5 aims for a ~50% longer RF pulse length (RF pulse duration of up to 1 ms at 10 Hz repetition rate) combined with high gradients (up to ~60 MV/m at the cathode). In addition to the improved cell geometry and cooling concept, the new cavity is equipped with an RF probe to measure and control the amplitude and phase of the RF field inside the gun. The first characterization of Gun5.1 included measurements of RF amplitude and phase stability (pulse-to-pulse and along 1 ms RF pulse). The dark current was measured at various peak power levels. The results of this characterization will be reported.

The Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) develops a prototype of an accelerator-based high-power tunable THz source for pump-probe experiments at the European XFEL. The PITZ injector is also the site for the development and preparation of the high-brightness electron source for the main linac of the European XFEL and has the same pulse train structure as the X-ray photon source of the XFEL. For the proof-of-principle experiments on high-power THz generation an LCLS- I undulator (on loan from SLAC) is installed in the tunnel annex downstream of the existing accelerator. The extension of the beam line consists of a bunch compressor and a collimation system in the main PITZ tunnel, as well as a matching section, the undulator and the THz diagnostic setup in the tunnel annex. A Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) FEL is used to generate the THz pulses. High radiation power can be achieved by utilizing high charge (up to several nC) electron bunches from the PITZ photo injector. A beam energy of ~17 MeV is used to generate THz radiation with a centre wavelength of 100 μm. The transport of this space charge dominated electron beam and its thorough matching into the planar LCLS-I undulator with a strong vertical focusing is one of the project challenges. The installation of the first THz beamline setup was finished in summer 2022 and com-missioning with electron beam started. A specially developed procedure for a high charge beam matching into the undulator was successfully tested resulting in a first THz pulse generation. The start-up THz diagnostics is based on pyrodetectors. First measurements of the THz generation from 1,2 and 3 nC bunches have been taken, the statistics properties analysis corresponds to the expected SASE performance. The gain curve for the 3 nC case reflects the onset of saturation regime.

Research and development of an accelerator-based THz source prototype for pump-probe experiments at the European XFEL are ongoing at the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ). A proof-of-principle experiment to generate THz SASE FEL radiation using an LCLS-I undulator driven by an electron bunch from the PITZ accelerator has been prepared. After four years of designs and construction, the first commissioning with an electron beam was started in July 2022. This paper presents and discusses the experience and results of the first commissioning.

Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC'22, Bangkok, Thailand, 12 Jun 2022 - 17 Jun 2022; JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 1033-1036 (2022). doi:10.18429/JACOW-IPAC2022-TUPOPT016, In order to allow THz pump/X-ray probe experiments at full bunch repetition rate for users at the European XFEL, the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESYin Zeuthen (PITZ) is building a prototype of an accelerator-based THz source. The goal is to generate THz SASE FEL radiation with a mJ energy level per bunch using an undulator driven by the electron beam from PITZ. Therefore, the existing PITZ beam line is extended into a tunnel annex downstream of the existing accelerator tunnel. The final design of the beam line extension consists of a bunch compressor, a collimation system and a beam dump in the PITZ tunnel. In the tunnel annex one LCLS-I undulator is installed for the production of the THz radiation with a quadrupole triplet in front of it for matching the beam parameters for the FEL process. Behind the undulator two screen stations couple out the THz radiation, for measurements of bunch compression, pulse energy or spatial distribution. A dipole separates the electron from the THz beam and a quadrupole doublet transports the electron beam to the beam dump. The installation progress will be presented., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

Proceedings of the 31st International Linear Accelerator Conference, LINAC2022, Liverpool, UK 31st Linear Accelerator Conference, LINAC22, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 28 Aug 2022 - 2 Sep 2022; JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 699-702 (2022). doi:10.18429/JACoW-LINAC2022-THPOJO03, A new generation of normal conducting 1.3GHz RF gun was developed to provide a high-quality electron source for superconducting linac driven free-electron lasers like FLASH and European XFEL. Compared to the Gun4 series, Gun5 aims for a 50% increase of the duration of the RF pulse (up to 1 ms at 10 Hz repetition rate) combined with high gradients (up to ~60 MV/m at the cathode). In addition to the improved impedance, the new cavity is equipped with an RF probe to measure and control the amplitude and phase of the RF field inside the gun. The first prototype of the new RF gun was manufactured at DESY and installed at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) in October 2021. In mid-October 2021 the RF conditioning began, aiming for achieving the aforementioned RF parameters. The conditioning procedure involves a slow gradual increase in repetition rate, RF pulse duration and peak power while carefully monitoring vacuum conditions and signals from interlock sensors. The results of RF conditioning will be reported., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

Proceedings of the 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC'22, Bangkok, Thailand, 12 Jun 2022 - 17 Jun 2022; [Geneva] : JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 2954-2957 (2022). doi:10.18429/JACoW-IPAC2022-THPOMS008, The Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) is preparing an R\&D platform for electron FLASH radiotherapy, very high energy electron (VHEE) radiotherapy and radiation biology based on its unique beam parameters: ps scale bunches with up to 5 nC bunch charge at MHz bunch repetition rate in bunch trains of up to 1 ms in length repeating at 10 Hz. This platform is called FLASHlab@PITZ. The PITZ beam is routinely accelerated to 22 MeV, with a possible upgrade to 250 MeV for VHEE radiotherapy in the future. The 22 MeV beam will be used for dosimetry experiments and studying biological effects in thin samples in the next years. A new beamline to extract and match the beam to the experimental station is under physics design. The main features include: an achromatic dogleg to extract the beam from the PITZ beamline; a sweeper to scan the beam across the sample within 1 ms for tumor painting studies. In this paper, the beam dynamics with bunch charges from 10 pC to 5 nC in and the preparation of the new beamline will be presented., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland, [Geneva]

[Ebook] IBIC 2022, International Beam Instrumentation Conference : 11-15 September 2022, Krakow, Poland : IBIC2022 - proceedings / Organizers: GSI [Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung]; SOLARIS, National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Jagiellonian University in Krakow , [Geneva, Switzerland] : JACoW Publishing, [2022], 11th International Beam Instrumentation Conference, IBIC 2022, Cracow, Poland, 11 Sep 2022 - 15 Sep 2022; Geneva, Switzerland : JACoW Publishing 105-108 (2022). doi:10.18429/JACoW-IBIC2022-MOP28, Methodical studies to improve the longitudinal phase space (LPS) tomography of space-charge dominated electron beams were carried out at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ). An analytical model was developed to quantify mean momentum, RMS energy spread, bunch length and phase advance. Phase advance analysis determined the booster phase scan range and step size to be used for obtaining momentum projections. A slit was introduced before the booster to truncate the beam in transverse plane to strongly reduce the space charge effects. The signal resolution of this truncated beam was improved by careful beta function control at the reference screen of the momentum measurements. The reconstruction algorithm was changed from Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART) to Image Space Reconstruction Algorithm (ISRA) owing to its assurance of non-negative solutions. In addition, the initial physically justified assumption of LPS, based on low-energy section measurements, was established to clear out noise-like artefacts. This paper will highlight the improvements made in the LPS tomography and compare the simulated and experimental results., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

[Ebook] 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference : June 12-17, 2022, Impact Forum, Muangthong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand : conference proceedings / Chanwattana, Thakonwat , [Geneva] : JACoW Publishing, July 2022, 13th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2022, Bangkok, Thailand, 12 Jun 2022 - 17 Jun 2022; [Geneva] : JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 2958-2961 (2022). doi:10.18429/JACOW-IPAC2022-THPOMS010, The high-brightness electron beam at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) is being prepared for use in dosimetry experiments and for the study of biological effects in thin samples. This is part of the preparations for FLASHlab@PITZ which is going to be an R platform for FLASH and VHEE radiation therapy and radiation biology. These studies require precise information on the electron beam parameters downstream of the exit window, such as the scattering angle and the energy spectrum of the particles as well as the thermal load on the exit window. A Titanium window is compared with a DESY Graphite window design. Heat deposition in the window by a single 22MeV / 1nC electron bunch of various size, its scattering and energy spectrum due to passage through the window are calculated by means of the Monte Carlo program FLUKA. Time resolved temperature profiles, as generated by the passage of 1ms long electron pulse trains with up to 4500 single pulses, each of them between 0.1 and 60ps long, are calculated with a self-written FEM code., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland, [Geneva]

Physica medica 104, 174 - 187 (2022). doi:10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.10.026, At the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ), an R&D platform for electron FLASH and very high energy electron radiation therapy and radiation biology is being prepared FLASH$\mathrm{{\ell}ab@}$PITZ). The beam parameters available at PITZ are worldwide unique. They are based on experiences from 20 + years of developing high brightness beam sources and an ultra-intensive THz light source demonstrator for ps scale electron bunches with up to 5 nC bunch charge at MHz repetition rate in bunch trains of up to 1 ms length, currently 22 MeV (upgrade to 250 MeV planned). Individual bunches can provide peak dose rates up to 10$^{14}$ Gy/s, and 10 Gy can be delivered within picoseconds. Upon demand, each bunch of the bunch train can be guided to a different transverse location, so that either a “painting” with micro beams (comparable to pencil beam scanning in proton therapy) or a cumulative increase of absorbed dose, using a wide beam distribution, can be realized at the tumor. Full tumor treatment can hence be completed within 1 ms, mitigating organ movement issues. With extremely flexible beam manipulation capabilities, FLASHlab@PITZ will cover the current parameter range of successfully demonstrated FLASH effects and extend the parameter range towards yet unexploited short treatment times and high dose rates. A summary of the plans for FLASH$\mathrm{{\ell}ab@}$PITZ and the status of its realization will be presented., Published by Elsevier, Amsterdam

[Ebook] IBIC 2022, International Beam Instrumentation Conference : 11-15 September 2022, Krakow, Poland : IBIC2022 - proceedings / Organizers: GSI [Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung]; SOLARIS, National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Jagiellonian University in Krakow , [Geneva, Switzerland] : JACoW Publishing, [2022], International Beam Instrumentation Conference, IBIC 2022, Krakow, Poland, 11 Sep 2022 - 15 Sep 2022; Geneva, Switzerland : JACoW Publishing 277-280 (2022). doi:10.18429/JACoW-IBIC2022-TUP21, A standard technique to measure beam profiles in linear accelerators are screen monitors using scintillating screens. This technique is used e.g. at the European XFEL in order to overcome coherence effects in case of OTR usage [*]. During the XFEL commissioning it was found out that screens based on LYSO:Ce as scintillating material revealed a nonproportional light output [**]. Reason for it is the high particle beam density. As consequence it was decided to exchange LYSO:Ce by GAGG:Ce scintillators because the excitation carriers can rapidly transfer their energy to excited states of gadolinium, and a rapid migration of this energy among the Gd sub-lattice is expected. Driven by the observations at XFEL a series of measurements was started to investigate the properties of various scintillator materials (LYSO:Ce, YAP:Ce, YAG:Ce, LuAG:Ce and GAGG:Ce). The last measurement campaign was carried out at PITZ which allows to operate at higher beam charge and lower electron energy compared to the XFEL. The present work summarizes the results of these measurements., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

Photocathode Physics for Photoinjectors Workshop, California, DESY, USA, 10 Nov 2021 - 12 Nov 2021

12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC'21, Campinas, Brazil, 24 May 2021 - 28 May 2021; doi:10.18429/JACOW-IPAC2021-WEPAB115, The need for carrier-envelope-phase (CEP) stable THz pump pulses is recognized at many pump-probe experiments at the European XFEL. At the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ), a proof-of-principle experiment of an accelerator-based THz FEL source is in preparation. Since the CEP stability of FEL pulses is not guaranteed in the SASE regime, a seeding scheme is needed. A common scheme for seeding is to drive the microbunching process with external laser pulses, which are power-limited in the THz range. Alternatively, a pre-bunched beam, generated for example by applying a temporally modulated photocathode laser pulse, can be used to drive the FEL. The beam dynamics with such a seeding method are studied with ASTRA tracking code simulations with space-charge forces as well as experimentally. The results of these studies are shown and discussed.

FRPT 2021, Wien, DESY, Austria, 1 Dec 2021 - 3 Dec 2021

FRPT 2021, Wien, DESY, Austria, 1 Dec 2021 - 3 Dec 2021

P3Workshop@SLAC, DESY, 10 Nov 2021

Photocathode Physics for Photoinjectors Workshop, California, DESY, USA, 10 Nov 2021 - 12 Nov 2021

Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC'21, Campinas, Brazil, 24 May 2021 - 28 May 2021; 3244-3247 (2021). doi:10.18429/JACOW-IPAC2021-WEPAB257, The Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) is developing a THz SASE FEL as a prototype high repetition rate accelerator-based source for the THz-pumped, X-ray-probed experiments at the European XFEL. For the generation of THz pulses of mJ-level energy from SASE, an electron beam with a high charge (up to 4 nC) and high peak current (~200 A) will be injected into an LCLS-I undulator, which is currently being installed at the end of the photo-injector. The narrow vacuum chamber (11x5 mm) between the magnetic poles and the strong vertical focusing from the undulator, as well as the lack of beam diagnostics, have made it a challenge to match the space-charge dominated beam into the undulator without beam loss during the following transport. In this paper, boundary conditions of a matched electron beam will be discussed and the simulation and experimental study on our matching strategy will be presented.

Multi-alkali antimonide-based photocathodes are suitable candidate for the electron sources of next-generation high brightness RF photoinjectors due to their excellent photoemissive properties especially, like low thermal emittances and high sensitivity to visible light. The former stands out, paving the way towards CW operations. Based on the previous successful development of Cesium Telluride photocathodes, we are now channelling our efforts toward an R activity focused on KCsSb and NaKSb(Cs) photocathodes. Parallel to that R activity, we have installed a new dedicated photocathode production system at the INFN-LASA to start the preparation of these photocathodes for their test in the PITZ photoinjector at DESY in Zeuthen. In this paper, detailed experimental results obtained from the KCsSb, along with a preliminary result from the NaKSb(Cs) photocathode material as well as the status of the overall project are presented., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC'21, Campinas, Brazil, 24 May 2021 - 28 May 2021; JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 4 pp. (2021). doi:10.18429/JACOW-IPAC2021-TUPAB071, In order to allow THz pump-X-ray probe experiments at full bunch repetition rate for users at the European XFEL, the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) is building a prototype of an accelerator-based THz source. The goal is to generate THz SASE FEL radiation with a mJ energy level per bunch using an LCLS-I undulator driven by the electron beam from PITZ. Therefore, the existing PITZ beam line is extended into a tunnel annex downstream of the existing accelerator tunnel. The beam line extension in the PITZ tunnel consists of three quadrupole magnets, a bunch compressor, a collimation system and a beam dump. In the second tunnel a dipole magnet allows to serve two beam lines, one of them the THz@PITZ beam line. It consists of one LCLS-I undulator for the production of the THz radiation, a quadrupole triplet in front of it and a quadrupole doublet behind it. For the electron beam diagnostic six new screen stations are built, three of them also allow for the observation of the THz radiation for measurements. In addition six BPMs and a new BLM system for machine protection and FEL gain curve measurement will be installed. The progress of this work will be presented., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

Linac based X-ray free electron laser demand a high beam quality from the electron source, therefore RF photoinjectors are used to generate the electron bunches for state of the art beam brightness. One important figure of merit for these injectors is the transverse emittance of the generated electron beam, which can be minimized by shaping the photocathode laser pulses. Best performance can be achieved with ellipsoidal laser pulses, but 3D shaping is technically challenging. Typically, a quasi-uniform transverse laser profile is truncated from the Gaussian profile generated by the laser with an aperture to reduce the transverse nonlinear space charge forces. This is investigated in detail by optimizing the laser transverse profile at the Photoinjector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ), where photoinjector R is conducted for the E-XFEL and FLASH free electron lasers at DESY in Hamburg. In this contribution we present experimental results at high acceleration gradients (up to 60 MV/m) for both 250 pC and 500 pC. For a bunch charge of 500 pC an emittance reduction of about 30% compared to the commonly used transverse flat-top laser distribution was achieved., Proceedings of the 12th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil

39th International Free-Electron Laser Conference, FEL19, Hamburg, Germany, 26 Aug 2019 - 30 Aug 2019; JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 45-47 (2019). doi:10.18429/JACOW-FEL2019-TUP003, For pump-probe experiments at the European XFEL, a THz source is required to produce intense THz pulses at the same repetition rate as the X-ray pulses from XFEL. Therefore, an accelerator-based THz source with identical electron source as European XFEL was suggested and proof-of-principle experiments utilizing an LCLS I undulator will be performed at the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ). The main idea is to use a 4nC beam for maximum SASE radiation but to allow different radiation regimes a magnetic bunch compressor can be used. This helps e.g. to reduce the saturation length inside the undulator and also to study super-radiant THz radiation. In this paper a design of a chicane type magnetic bunch compressor using HERA corrector magnets is presented., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

39th International Free-Electron Laser Conference, FEL19, Hamburg, Germany, 26 Aug 2019 - 30 Aug 2019; JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 444-447 (2019). doi:10.18429/JACOW-FEL2019-WEP052, In this paper we report our consideration and simulation on the space charge dominated emission in the L-band photocathode RF gun at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ). It has been found that the emission curve, which relates the extracted and accelerated bunch charge after the gun to the laser energy, doesn’t agree very well with Astra simulations when the emission is nearly or fully saturated. Previous studies with a core-halo model for a better fit of the experimentally measured laser transverse profile as well as with an improved transient emission model have resulted in a better agreement between experimental data and simulation. A 3D FFT space charge solver including mirror charge and binned energy/momentum has been built, which also allows more emission mechanisms to be included in the future. In this paper, the energy spread during emission was preliminarily analyzed. Experimentally measured emission curves were compared with simulation, showing the effect of the inhomogeneity of the laser on the emission and beam parameters., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

39th International Free-Electron Laser Conference, FEL19, Hamburg, Germany, 26 Aug 2019 - 30 Aug 2019; JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 473-476 (2019). doi:10.18429/JACOW-FEL2019-WEP062, Cesium telluride is a widely used cathode in photo injectors, and its performance is one of the keys for not only emittance but also reliable operation. Over the years lots of experiences with Cs2Te photocathodes produced with the same recipe and thickness were gained at the DESY photo injectors, but cathode performance dependence on the cathode layer thickness were not investigated. In this paper, we test fresh Cs2Te cathodes with different thickness at the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ). The QE and thermal emittance of these cathodes inside the high gradient RF gun will be compared. Besides, the injector emittance under the operation conditions of the XFEL will also be measured with these cathodes., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

39th International Free-Electron Laser Conference, FEL19, Hamburg, Germany, 26 Aug 2019 - 30 Aug 2019; JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland 41-44 (2019). doi:10.18429/JACOW-FEL2019-TUP002, A proof-of-princle experiment for a THz SASE FEL is undergoing preparation at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ), as a prototype THz source for pump-probe experiments at the European XFEL, which could potentially provide up to mJ/pulse THz radiation while maintaining the identical pulse train structure as the XFEL pulses. In the proof-of-principle experiment, LCLS-I undulators will be installed to generate SASE radiation in the THz range of 3-5 THz from electron bunches of 16-22 MeV/c. One key design is to obtain the peak current of nearly 200 A from the heavily charged bunches of a few nC. In this paper, we report our simulation results on the optimization of the space charge dominated beam in the photo injector and the following transport line with two cathode laser setups. Experimental results based on a short Gaussian laser will also be discussed., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland

The Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) was built to test and to optimize sources of high brightness electron beams for Free-Electron Lasers (FELs). In order to achieve high accelerating gradients and long RF pulse lengths in the RF gun cavities an extensive and safe RF conditioning is required. A State Machine based Automatic Conditioning application (SMAC) was developed to automate the RF conditioning processes, allowing for greater efficiency and performance optimization. SMAC is written in Java and uses State Chart XML (SCXML) as the finite-state machine execution environment based on Harel statecharts. It employs the Distributed Object-Oriented Control System (DOOCS) and Three-fold Integrated Networking Environment (TINE) for the communication with the control system of PITZ. The graphical user interface (GUI) is created by using the Java Swing toolkit. Communication between GUI and SXML processing layer is performed via Document Object Model (DOM) events. The SMAC application has been successfully applied to RF conditioning of several gun cavities at PITZ., Proceedings of the 12th Int. Workshop on Emerging Technologies and Scientific Facilities Controls, PCaPAC2018, Hsinchu, Taiwan

8th International Beam Instrumentation Conference, IBIC2019, Malmö, Sweden, 8 Sep 2019 - 12 Sep 2019; 4 pp. (2019)., At the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ) high-brightness electron sources are optimized for use at the X-ray free-electron lasers FLASH and European XFEL. Transverse projected emittance measurements are carried out by a single-slit scan technique in order to suppress space charge effects at an energy of ~20 MeV. Previous slice emittance measurements, which employed the emittance measurement in conjunction with a transverse deflecting structure, suffer from limited time resolution and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to a long drift space from the mask to the observation screen. Recent experimental studies at PITZ show improvement of the temporal resolution and SNR by utilizing quadrupole magnets between the mask and the screen. The measurement setup is described and first results are shown.

10th International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC’19, Melbourne, Australia, 19 May 2019 - 24 May 2019; Geneva, Switzerland : JACoW Publishing 2286-2290 (2019). doi:10.18429/JACOW-IPAC2019-WEZPLS2, Beam driven wakefield acceleration (PWFA) schemes in plasmas are among the most promising candidates for novel, compact accelerators. Several aspects of PWFA are under investigation at the Photoinjector Test facility at DESY in Zeuthen (PITZ). One of the main characteristics of these accelerators is the ratio between field strength usable for acceleration and decelerating field strength in the driver bunch, the so called transformer ratio. To reach high transformer ratios usually shaped bunches, e.g. with ramped current profiles are employed as drivers. The so-called self-modulation instability, which causes transverse modulation of a bunch longer than the plasma wavelength, is proposed as a means of supplying short driver bunches for proton-driven PWFA. This talk will give an overview on experimental results in these two aspects of PWFA at PITZ with a focus on the production of electron bunches enabling high transformer ratio acceleration by shaping the photocathode laser pulses of a photoinjector and the demonstration of high transformer ratio PWFA. Simulations and further developments on the shaping techniques, allowing highly flexible electron bunches for future plasma wakefield accelerators are also presented., Published by JACoW Publishing, Geneva, Switzerland