Measurement of beam phase at FLASH using HOMs in accelerating cavities

The beam phase relative to the accelerating field is of vital importance for the quality of photon beams produced in modern Free Electron Lasers based on superconducting cavities. Normally, the phase is determined by detecting the transient field induced by the beam. In this way the phase of each cavity is checked and adjusted typically every few months. In this paper, we present an on-line method of beam phase determination, based on higher order modes (HOMs) excited in the 2nd monopole band by the beam inside these cavities. A circuit model of this HOM band is also presented. Various effects on the resolution have been studied. The results indicate that the resolution is strongly dependent on the signal to noise ratio and the sampling rate. Preliminary experimental results, based on a broadband setup, reveal a resolution of ca. 0.1° RMS. These are in good agreement with simulation results. The work will pave the way for a dedicated system of beam phase monitoring, which is under development for the European XFEL which requires the beam phase to be measured to within 0.01° RMS. This will be the first implementation of a dedicated on-line beam phase monitor, based on beam-excited HOMs in accelerating cavities.