CLIC Drive Beam Phase Stabilisation

The thesis presents phase stability studies for the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) and focuses in particular on CLIC Drive Beam longitudinal phase stabilisation. This topic constitutes one of the main feasibility challenges for CLIC construction and is an essential component of the current CLIC stabilisation campaign. The studies are divided into two large interrelated sections: the simulation studies for the CLIC Drive Beam stability, and measurements, data analysis and simulations of the CLIC Test Facility (CTF3) Drive Beam phase errors. A dedicated software tool has been developed for a step-by-step analysis of the error propagation through the CLIC Drive Beam. It uses realistic RF potential and beam loading amplitude functions for the Drive and Main Beam accelerating structures, complete models of the recombination scheme and compressor chicane as well as of further CLIC Drive Beam modules. The tool has been tested extensively and its functionality has been verified. The phase error propagation at CLIC has been analysed and the critical phase error frequencies have been identified. The impact of planned error filtering and stabilisation systems for the Drive Beam bunch charge and longitudinal phase has been simulated and the optimal specifications for these systems, such as bandwidth and latency time, have been calculated and discussed. It has been found that a realistic feed-forward system could sufficiently reduce the longitudinal phase error of the Drive Beam, hence verifying that a satisfactory CLIC luminosity recovery system is possible to develop. Alternative designs of the Drive Beam accelerator, the recombination scheme and the phase signal distribution system have also been analysed. Measurements of the CTF3 Drive Beam phase have been performed. The source of the phase and energy errors at CTF3 has been determined. The performance of the phase feed-forward system prototype for CTF3 has been simulated. The prototype's specifications have been defined so that it will provide a sufficient test of the feed-forward correction principle. The prototype based on the defined specifications is currently in development and is to be installed at CTF3 in the second half of 2013.