The infra-red free electron laser at RRCAT - development, status and future plans

The Infra-Red Free Electron Laser (IR-FEL) at RRCAT, which is presently in an advanced stage of commissioning, is designed to deliver ∼2 MW peak power in 10 ps pulses with a wavelength tunable from 15 - 50 micron. First lasing has been observed in the setup with a gain ∼ 10⁵, and efforts are presently underway on optimization of the electron beam and RF system parameters to enhance this gain to the design value of 10⁷. Many of the important sub-systems of the IR-FEL like the components of the injector linac system, 476 and 2856 MHz RF systems, magnets and magnet power supplies, etc. have been designed and developed in-house to meet the stringent specifications for the electron beam dictated by the FEL and injector design simulations. This talk discusses the basis for the stringent specifications for these sub-systems, their development and results obtained during testing and commissioning of these systems. The talk also reviews the present status of experiments on the IR-FEL setup and discusses the plans for the near and mid-term future for the FEL activity. (author)