Drive laser system for the DC-SRF photoinjector at Peking University

Photoinjectors are widely used for linear accelerators as electron sources to generate high-brightness electron beams. The drive laser, which determines the timing structure and quality of the electron beam, is a crucial component of a photoinjector. A new drive laser system has been designed and constructed for the upgraded 3.5-cell DC-SRF photoinjector at Peking University. The drive laser system consists of a 1064 nm laser oscillator, a four-stage amplifier, second and fourth harmonic generators, an optical system to transfer the UV pulses to the photocathode, and a synchronization system. The drive laser system has been successfully applied during stable operation of the DC-SRF photoinjector and its performance meets requirements. A 266 nm laser with an average power close to 1 W can be delivered to illuminate the Cs₂Te photocathode and the instability is less than 5% for long time operation. The design considerations for improving the UV laser quality, a detailed description of the laser system, and its performance are presented in this paper. (authors)