Tests of a grazing-incidence ring resonator free-electron laser

The authors describe operational experience of the first free-electron laser (FEL) using a grazing-incidence ring resonator. The Boeing FEL optical cavity was changed from a simple concentric cavity using two spherical mirrors to a larger grazing-incidence ring resonator. Initial tests showed that poorly positioned ring focus and unreliable pointing alignment resulted in reduced and structured FEL output. Later efforts concentrated on improving the resonator alignment techniques and lowering the single-pass losses. FEL performance and reliability have significantly improved due to better ring alignment. The alignment procedure and recent lasing results are described. The effect the electron beam has on lasing is also discussed. Measurements are presented showing FEL temporal output and wavelength are sensitive to electron beam energy variation