In 1995, Jefferson Laboratory's Free Electron Laser (FEL) deputy program manager George Neil offered a case of fine wine to the first of the world's FEL groups to achieve one kilowatt of continuous power. In August the prize was finally awarded, at the annual FEL conference held this year in Hamburg, Germany. Neil didn't have to canvass attendees to find the winners: they were members of his own team, quite literally by his side as he made the announcement.

JLab's FEL Group poses for a photo after savoring their recent successes: setting a new FEL power record by reaching 1.72 kW, completing a string of successful materials-processing experiments and finding out that the Navy wants to invest in FEL upgrade plans.

JLab's FEL breakthrough occurred on July 15, when the machine set a new power record at 1.72 kilowatts on the second day of a month-long run that concluded August 13. The achievement was an omen of things to come, as a series of FEL experiments ended well and news arrived of likely funding for a major upgrade.

Upon Neil's return and at his expense, a trip to a Williamsburg-area wine shop netted bottles of merlots, cabernet sauvignon, zinfandels and pinot noirs for all in the FEL Group. "I told everyone that if they didn't like their individual bottle they could bring it back to me and I'd get them another one," he says. "So far I haven't heard any complaints."

Also leaving a good taste in FEL team's mouths is an announcement that the U.S. Navy expects to invest between $7 and $10 million toward a three-year, $15 million upgrade. Despite continued congressional debate over the details and money amounts for the fiscal year 2000 budget, Lab managers are optimistic that funds will be forthcoming.

"We're waiting for the appropriations bill and hoping for the president's signature," says FEL program manager Fred Dylla. "We appear to be on line to receive something in the neighborhood of $10 million that is currently in the FY2000 defense authorization bill. It's very encouraging."

Setting New Standards

Encouraging too were the outcomes of five studies conducted during the FEL's July/August run. Among the groups using the machine was specialty steel manufacturer Armco, which exposed several kinds of steel to FEL light to gauge the beam's efficiency in surface processing. Initial results appear promising; if they hold up, an FEL could one day replace expensive, environmentally hazardous acid-etching treatments, reducing steel-surface oxidation and improving corrosion resistance.

Other experiments included studies of FEL-assisted thin film deposition, a technique used to produce high-quality coatings and thin films for electronics and microcomponents, and effects of FEL processing on nylon, polyester and a class of materials known as polyimides. In addition, researchers examined the FEL's potential to act as a springboard for a new kind of high-resolution medical and biological-systems imager.

One of the most important of the developments to derive from the mid-summer run was the successful lasing of light at what experts define as the "fifth harmonic." Light produced at this level is the optical equivalent of an overtone perceived by the human ear during the plucking of a piano or guitar string. The practical effect is production of tuneable, short wavelengths of infrared, visible and eventually ultraviolet light, which could substantially reduce manufacturing costs for certain products, particularly those requiring deposition of thin-films and specialty coatings.

"We're at a good threshold now," says Dylla. "We've completed the commissioning of the machine. We've laid the groundwork for the upgrade to be completed. We've made a good introduction of the machine to users. Our challenge over the next couple of years will be to continue to grow the user community and finalize the upgrade."

Prof. Anne Reilly, Dept. of Physics at the College of William & Mary, adjusts a laser deposition apparatus in FEL Lab 4.

Immediate priorities, Dylla says, are to complete the upgraded FEL design and start fabrication and installation of new equipment. Researchers will continue runs to improve understanding of the machine's capabilities and to permit users to install and conduct occasional experiments. But operational time will be limited; the machine will be run roughly one month of every three. While the FEL team won't have time to rest on their laurels, the pace should ease from that sustained in the months leading up to the Hamburg conference.

"It was a tough year to get through," Dylla says. "But people here have really risen to the challenge. We're all happy to be drinking George's wine."

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