RF Phase Reference Distribution System for the TESLA Technology Based Projects

Since many decades physicists have been building particle accelerators and usually new projects became more advanced, more complicated and larger than predecessors. The importance and complexity of the phase reference distribution systems used in these accelerators have grown significantly during recent years. Amongst the most advanced of currently developed accelerators are projects based on the TESLA technology. These projects require synchronization of many RF devices with accuracy reaching femtosecond levels over kilometre distances. Design of a phase reference distribution system fulfilling such requirements is a challenging scientific task. There are many interdisciplinary problems which must be solved during the system design. Many, usually negligible issues, may became very important in such system. Furthermore, the design of a distribution system on a scale required for the TESLA technology based projects is a new challenge and there is almost no literature sufficiently covering this subject. This thesis is devoted to the conceptual analysis, design and realization of a complete phase reference distribution system for the FLASH accelerator. The most important design issues are considered. Important distribution system architectures are described with their advantages and disadvantages. Methods of characterization of signal phase instabilities in distribution system components are presented. A general, system-level design method of the distribution system is proposed. The designed FLASH distribution system is divided into three subsystems: the Master Oscillator System, coaxial cable links and the fiber-optic link with active phase stabilization. The design, realization and tests of these subsystems are described. Performance of designed distribution system components is analysed and tested. Many practical information useful for the distribution system design are included in this work. The result of this thesis is a working distribution system prepared for installation in the FLASH facility. This book contains a PhD thesis submitted at the Warsaw University of Technolgy in 2007. In comparison to the original some minor mistakes were corrected in this version.