First results of the Fermilab high-brightness RF photoinjector

A collaboration has been formed between FNAL, UCLA, LNFN Milano, the University of Rochester, and DESY to develop the technology of an RF photoinjector, followed by a superconducting cavity, to produce high bunch charge (8 nC) with low normalized emittance (<20 mm mrad) in bunch spacing trains of 800 bunches separated by μs. The activities of bunch charge the collaboration fall into two categories: 1. the development of Injector II for the TeSLA/TTF accelerator. This photoinjector (TTF RF Gun) was tested at Fermilab in September and October 1998 and installed at DESY in November 1998. 2. the installation at the A0 Hall of Fermilab of a modified version of the TTF photoinjector, for photoinjector R&D and to study novel applications of high-brightness, pulsed electron beams. This photoinjector (A0 RF Gun) produced its first beam in March 1999. This paper presents a summary of the tests done at Fermilab on the TITF Injector II and the first results obtained on the new Fermilab photoinjector