SIMULATION OF A HIGHER-ORDER MODE RF PHOTOINJECTOR*

A photoinjector based on a higher-order mode (HOM) rf cavity presents several potential advantages over tradi-tional photoinjector designs. These include ease of fabri-cation, tuning stability, and the possibility of achieving higher accelerating gradients. Since the initial proposal [1], the design has evolved towards lower rf power re-quirements but still maintains the ability to generate very high-quality electron beams. This paper presents the results of beam dynamics stud-ies on a HOM-based photoinjector roughly equivalent to the SLAC/BNL/UCLA-style 1.6-cell S-band photoinjec-tor [2]. Best-beam property numbers are obtained via simplex optimization, and parameter sensitivity studies are presented. Results are given for idealized as well as typical drive laser profiles.