Start-to-End Simulations for IR/THz Undulator Radiation at PITZ

High brightness electron sources for modern linac-based Free-Electron Lasers (FELs) have been characterized and optimized at the Photo Injector Test facility at DESY, Zeuthen site (PITZ). Since the time structure of the electron bunches at PITZ is identical to those at the European XFEL, the PITZ accelerator is being considered as a proper machine for the development of an IR/THz source prototype for pump and probe experiments planned at the European XFEL. Tunable IR/THz radiation sources using synchrotron radiation from a dipole magnet, transition radiation, high gain FELs and coherent radiation of tailored or premodulated beams are currently under consideration. This work describes start-to-end simulations for generating the FEL radiation using an APPLE-II undulator with electron beams produced by the PITZ accelerator. Analysis of the physical parameter space has been performed with tools of the FAST program code package. Electron Beam dynamics simulations were performed by using the ASTRA code, while the GENESIS 1.3 code was used to study the SASE process. The results of these studies are presented and discussed in this paper