Eur. Phys. J. D 22, 269-277 (2003)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2002-00245-5

Chaotic dynamics in a storage-ring free electron laser

¹ CEA, DSM/DRECAM/SPAM, CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
² LURE, bâtiment 209 D, Université de Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
³ NADA, KTH, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden

Corresponding author: ^a fanelli@nada.kth.se

Received: 27 March 2002
Revised: 17 July 2002
Published online: 21 January 2003

Abstract

The temporal dynamics of a storage-ring Free Electron Laser is here investigated with particular attention to the case in which an external modulation is applied to the laser-electron beam detuning. The system is shown to produce bifurcations as well as chaotic regimes. The peculiarities of this phenomenon with respect to the analogous behaviour displayed by conventional laser sources are pointed out. Theoretical results, obtained by means of a phenomenological model reproducing the evolution of the main statistical parameters of the system, are shown to be in a good agreement with experiments carried out on the Super-ACO Free Electron Laser.