OPTIMIZING THE PITZ ELECTRON SOURCE FOR THE VUV-FEL

The goal of the Photo Injector Test Facility at DESY Zeuthen (PITZ) is to test and optimize electron sources for Free Electron Lasers and future linear colliders. At the end of 2003, the first stage of PITZ has been successfully completed, resulting in the installation of the PITZ RF gun at the Vacuum Ultra Violet - Free Electron Laser (VUV-FEL) at DESY Hamburg. The main results achieved during the extensive measurement program are discussed in this paper. A minimum normalized beam emittance of about 1.7 π mm mrad (geometrical average of horizontal and vertical emittance) for 1 nC electron bunch charge has been reached by optimizing numerous photoinjector parameters, e.g. longitudinal and transverse profiles of the photocathode laser, RF phase, main and bucking solenoid current. The second stage of PITZ, being a large extension of the facility and its research program, has started now. Recent progress on the PITZ developments will be reported as well.