Triple modulator-chicane scheme for seeding sub-nanometer x-ray free electron lasers

We propose a novel triple modulator-chicane (TMC) scheme to convert external input seed to shorter wavelengths. In the scheme high power seed lasers are used in the first and third modulator while only very low power seed is used in the second modulator. By properly choosing the parameters of the lasers and chicanes, we show that ultrahigh harmonics can be generated in the TMC scheme while simultaneously keeping the energy spread growth much smaller than beam’s initial slice energy spread. As an example we show the feasibility of generating significant bunching at 1 nm and below from a low power (∼ 100 kW) high harmonic generation seed at 20 nm assisted by two high power (∼ 100 MW) UV lasers at 200 nm while keeping the energy spread growth within 40%. The supreme up-frequency conversion efficiency of the proposed TMC scheme together with its unique advantage in maintaining beam energy spread opens new opportunities for generating fully coherent x-rays at sub-nanometer wavelength from external seeds.