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Weilun Qin

Publications and source records attributed to Weilun Qin.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Generation of high-fluence and high-intensity hard x-ray attosecond pulses at European XFEL

By combining hard x-ray attosecond pulses from the European XFEL with total-reflection focusing x-ray optics, we generated nanofocused hard x-ray attosecond pulses with intensities and fluences comparable to the highest values attained in the hard x-ray regime. A peak intensity on the order of 10$^{20}$ W/cm$^2$ is confirmed through the observation of saturation in amplified spontaneous emission from copper atoms. These x-ray pulses enable new scientific opportunities, including the exploration of higher-order nonlinear light--matter interactions, damage-free structure determination, and coherent control of atoms and molecules.

physics.optics

High-Harmonic Coherent Pulse Generation in a Storage Ring Using Multiple-Echo-Enabled Harmonic Generation

Fourth-generation storage-ring light sources have achieved transverse emittances approaching the diffraction limit at x-ray wavelengths, while their longitudinal coherence remains limited. Existing laser-modulation schemes can induce strong microbunching, but most storage-ring implementations produce only one useful coherent output from a given longitudinal region during each revolution, thereby underutilizing the intrinsic multi-user capability of storage rings. We propose a multiple-echo-enabled harmonic generation (multi-EEHG) scheme that applies successive excitation--echo cycles to the same longitudinal slice of a stored bunch within one revolution, enabling coherent-radiation delivery to multiple beamlines at different wavelengths. A general formulation of the n-stage EEHG bunching factor and a corresponding optimization procedure are derived. As an example, a triple-EEHG configuration is designed for the SAPS storage ring. Simulations demonstrate coherent radiation at multiple wavelengths with single-pulse photon numbers up to $10^9$, corresponding to an enhancement of approximately three orders of magnitude over synchrotron radiation for the same spectral bandwidth, while achieving few-meV bandwidth without a monochromator. The proposed scheme offers a scalable approach for multi-beamline coherent operation in next-generation storage-ring light sources.

physics.acc-ph

Probing the Linewidth of the 12.4-keV Solid-State $^{45}$Sc Isomeric Resonance

The $^{45}$Sc nuclear transition from the ground to the isomeric state at 12.389~keV, with a lifetime of 0.46~s, exhibits an extraordinarily narrow natural width of 1.4~feV and a quality factor $\simeq 10^{19}$ -- surpassing those of the most precise atomic clocks -- making $^{45}$Sc a compelling platform for advanced metrology and nuclear clocks. Here we investigate how closely the spectral width and quality factor of the solid-state $^{45}$Sc resonance can approach these natural limits. Using the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser, we confirm the isomer's lifetime via time-delayed incoherent $K_{α,β}$ fluorescence and observe previously unreported elastic fluorescence, yielding a partial internal conversion coefficient of 390(60). The absence of a clear nuclear forward scattering signal beyond a 2-ms delay implies environmental broadening of at least $500~Γ_{0}$ under experimental conditions, placing bounds on solid-state decoherence mechanisms. These findings set new experimental benchmarks for solid-state nuclear clock development.

quant-ph

Longitudinal phase space diagnostics with a nonmovable corrugated passive wakefield streaker

Time-resolved diagnostics at Free-Electron Laser (FEL) facilities, in particular electron beam longitudinal phase space (LPS) and FEL power profile measurements, provide information highly valuable for users, machine development studies, and beam setup. We investigate the slice energy resolution of passive streaker setups, in particular the effect of an energy chirp on the measured slice energy spread. Downstream of the hard X-ray SASE2 beamline at the European XFEL, these measurements are enabled by a single-plate non-movable passive wakefield streaker, essentially a rectangular corrugated plate placed inside a vacuum chamber. We show measurements with a time resolution down to a few femtoseconds, and an energy resolution down to a few MeVs.

physics.acc-ph

Analytical formulas of coherent-synchrotron-radiation induced microbunching gain and emittance growth in an arbitrary achromatic four-bend chicane

Coherent synchrotron radiations (CSR) emitted by a high-brightness electron beam during transport in a bending magnet is a double-edged sword in electron accelerators. While CSR contributes to a stronger radiation field than the incoherent radiation, it simultaneously leads to degradation of the electron beam quality. Specifically, CSR effects manifest in increases of the beam energy spread and the projected emittance, and amplification of the microbunching instability. This paper presents analytical formulas for the CSR-induced microbunching instability gain and for the induced emittance growth in an arbitrary achromatic four-bend chicane with inclusion of both the steady-state and transient CSR effects. The analytical formulas are compared and show good agreement with Vlasov calculations and particle tracking simulations. The obtained analytical formulas are then applied to evaluate the CSR effects in the design of a general achromatic four-bend bunch compressor chicane, providing a quick estimate on the microbunching gain and the induced emittance growth. From the widely adopted symmetric C-shape chicane to a non-symmetric S-shape chicane, our analytical formulas offer insight into the evolution of the microbunching gain and the emittance growth with the variations of design parameters. In comparison to particle tracking simulations currently employed for CSR effect analyses, the analytical formulas presented in this paper significantly reduce the evaluation time, enabling systematic study of parametric dependencies with inclusion of CSR effects within specified design parameter ranges.

physics.acc-ph

Scientific Opportunities with an X-ray Free-Electron Laser Oscillator

An X-ray free-electron laser oscillator (XFELO) is a new type of hard X-ray source that would produce fully coherent pulses with meV bandwidth and stable intensity. The XFELO complements existing sources based on self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) from high-gain X-ray free-electron lasers (XFEL) that produce ultra-short pulses with broad-band chaotic spectra. This report is based on discussions of scientific opportunities enabled by an XFELO during a workshop held at SLAC on June 29 - July 1, 2016

physics.ins-det

Self-Seeded FEL Wavelength Extension with High-Gain Harmonic Generation

We study a self-seeded high-gain harmonic generation (HGHG) free-electron laser (FEL) scheme to extend the wavelength of a soft X-ray FEL. This scheme uses a regular self-seeding monochromator to generate a seed laser at the wavelength of 1.52 nm, followed by a HGHG configuration to produce coherent, narrow-bandwidth harmonic radiations at the GW level. The 2nd and 3rd harmonic radiation are investigated with start-to-end simulations. Detailed studies on the FEL performance and shot-to-shot fluctuations are presented.

physics.acc-ph