1. Building an Electron Accelerator for Use in a Free-Electron Laser by Daniel P. Mills

2. Why am I Building this? The electron accelerator is the first step in the free-electron laser system The electron accelerator is the first step in the free-electron laser system The electron accelerator that was being used at the beginning of the summer was inadequate The electron accelerator that was being used at the beginning of the summer was inadequate With the electron accelerator, field emission will be able to be created and the current will be measured With the electron accelerator, field emission will be able to be created and the current will be measured

3. What is a Free-Electron Laser? A free-electron laser (FEL) is a laser that takes energy from an electron beam, not from excited atoms An FEL works by first accelerating the electron beam, and then causing the electrons to oscillate and then spontaneously emit photons

4. What went on in the lab? Rebuild the Electron Accelerator Develop the Computer-Based Instrumentation Get working Needle Cathode Tips

5. The Rebuilding Process Designing Parts – Visio Ordering Pieces Making Parts – Machine Shop

6. What was Made? Cathode Holder and Cathode sheath Anode Heater System

7. Computer-Based Instrumentation All computer-based instrumentation was done exclusively in LabVIEW LabVIEW runs the motion controls, monitors the temperatures, and measures the voltage and current in our system

8. Glassman Power Supply

9. Cathodes: How do they Work?

10. Making a Needle Cathode Straightening Tungsten Wire Chemically Etching tip of needle Electron Bombardment

11. Cathode Tips

12. Where We Were

13. Where We Are Now

14. Where do we go from here?