Staff: PV, TS, JK + external collaborators 

X-ray delivery:

10 keV, ~ 800 uJ, 128 pulses, tuning was needed for 10 min. 

Optical Laser:

No PP-laser for this week

Achievements / Observations:

Finalized alignment of X-ray setup

Issues:

No major issue today.

The status of the FXE shutter in the Public status display DOOCS panel is incorrect. Here appears as opened, when it is actually closed.

X-ray delivery

• up to 202 pulses per train (~1 mJ pulse energy), 0.5 MHz.

Optical laser delivery

• PP laser aligned to the interaction point

Achievements/Observations
Preparation for user beamtime

• x-ray beam aligned and focused
• gotthard II ready
• PP laser aligned and ready
• ns laser aligned and ready
• inline mic aligned
   

X-ray delivery

• up to 202 pulses per train (~1.4 mJ pulse energy), 0.5 MHz.

Optical laser delivery

• OPO issue in the late shift
• PP laser aligned and timed both at the interaction point and in PAM

Achievements/Observations

• gotthard II used and working
• PP laser aligned and timed
• PAM aligned and timed

Issues

• issue with the OPO when we wanted to collect data

To do for next shift

• collect lysozyme for geometry and start user program

Damage on FEL imager was also seen by our morning shift around 7:50am.

SPB/SFX 7955 Day 2

**X-ray delivery**
* up to 202 pulses per train (~1.4 mJ pulse energy), 0.5 MHz.
* A few beam downs toward the end of the shift

**Optical laser delivery**
* 420nm used for sample excitation. timed to 1ps with water jet interaction

**Achievements/Observations**
* x-ray beam de-focused to a few um for data taking
* PP laser aligned and timed
* runs for 1ps pumped data set
* good peak distribution at 11% transmission (100 CVD/ 200 CVD / None / 3200 CVD)
* hit rate better than previous day

**Issues**
* a lot of nozzle exchange
* sample most likely accumulating on the catcher entrance window
* DAMNIT issue with too many queued jobs, fixed by Oleksii (OCD)

**To do for next shift**
* finish power titration and continue with other time points

SPB/SFX 7955 Day 3

X-ray delivery

• up to 202 pulses per train (~1.4 mJ pulse energy), 0.5 MHz.

• One longer down toward the end of the shift

Optical laser delivery

• 420nm used for sample excitation. timed to 1ps with water jet interaction

Achievements/Observations

• x-ray beam de-focused to a few um for data taking

• PP laser aligned and timed

• runs for 1ps, 100ps and 100ns pumped data sets

• hit rate much better (even > 10%) than previous day with small crystals

Issues

• a lot of nozzle exchange in the morning

• DAMNIT issue with too many queued jobs – some of the earlier jobs timed out

We observed a damage spot on the SA1 FEL imager. It moves with the target holder, but not sure if its damage on the optical mirror or on the target itself.

This issue is not critical, but can become problematic in case one wants to determine beam size or state of optics (ATT or CRLs) upstream.

Preparation for user expt #7944

X-ray delivery

• since pulses (10 Hz) at 9.3 keV, 3 mJ
• Pointing stability 55 um RMS in the horizontal plane on FXE PI, which is lower as compared to earlier values

Achievements/Observations

• Aligned xrays into FXE vacuum/cryo setup
• Performed ice depositions in-situ and characterized by Xray

Handover

• Beam transport to SPB and 11 keV recovered
• We left Hirex inserted during FXE operation, but closed the GH2 shutter. It is still closed.

Issues

• XTD2 crl lens3x motor moving in wrong direction and already past all limits. Created ticket with EEE (no DOC available) #216784. Lens3x is not needed for the ongoing experiment, but the situation is potentially dangerous.

Preparation for user expt #7944

X-ray delivery

• Since pulses (10 Hz) at 9.3 keV, 2.2 mJ
• Again similar low pointing noise

Achievements/Observations

• Confirmed amorphous ice deposition and -removal
• Optimized scattering geometry
• Calibrated detector position

Handover

• Beam transport to SPB and 11 keV recovered by BKR

Preparation for user expt #7944

X-ray delivery

• Single pulses (10 Hz) at 9.3 keV, 2.3 mJ
• Again similar low pointing noise

Achievements/Observations

• Tested different substrates for deposition of ice
• Optimized ice deposition conditions
• Recorded example data to prepare analysis scripts

Handover

• Beam transport to SPB and 11 keV requested from BKR at 6:30h

SPB/SFX shift summary user experiment 8039

**X-ray delivery**
-15 keV with Hirex monitoring, 0.5 mJ/pulse, 202 pulses/train at 0.56 MHz pulse repetition rate

**Optical laser delivery**
-810 nm laser for illumination

**Achievements/Observations**
- Collected sample data for ca. 2h 15min using a DFFN 
- XTD2 CRLs optimized and realigned
- Offset mirror M1/M2 optimized for 15 keV
- Repositioned the illumination fiber inside IRU chamber
- Germanium blades were installed for the IRU_Slit_4 (top and bottom)

**Issues**
- PP laser alignment could not be pursued as hexapod had to be repositioned first (interaction region was too close to exit cone)

Due to issues SCS has with pulses from SASE1 lasing in SASE3 and destroying, or at least modifying, their sample, it was decided to change the order in the RF configuration to have SASE3 pulses before SASE1. The change will be done at 12 pm, agreed with FXE.
The impact for SPB will be the loss a few pulses (5%), I contacted Richard to get confirmation that this is ok for SPB.

Best regards,
Martin (PRC week 9)

self-seeding level in SA2 is currently very low (~100 uJ, about 50% in the pedestal), need more information on how to proceed - is there any chance to improve the seeding, or should we consider going to sase operation.

• Alignment of KB mirrors: focused beam H150-200nm x V300-350nm. Characterization of focused beam with wire scan.
• Installed ePIX table and ePIX. Thorlabs server is not running, needs to be fixed by controls during the morning shift
• Aligned rotation center of SSRY and put the beam into it. Moved alignment pin down by 10mm and put protecting cover on it.
• Aligned DES spectrometer crystal (using YAG) to 9keV.
• Checked CRL2 focusing with 9keV. Smallest is 9um (with bender adjust).
• Alexey played with Mono further, second reflection not found. Problem found with actuator.
• Tested FF data. Seems to be good.
•  

X-ray delivery
-15 keV with Hirex monitoring, 0.5 mJ/pulse, 202 pulses/train at 0.56 MHz pulse repetition rate
Optical laser delivery
- 810 nm laser for illumination
-PP laser for excitation, 590 nm, 51 pulses, 141 kHz
Achievements/Observations

• Collected high resolution time resolved data
• Collected Tve_CPC500f and Tve_CPC1n data and completed Tve_CPC20p

X-ray delivery:

10 keV, ~ 900 uJ, 128 pulses, tuning was needed for few hours

Achievements / Observations:

Alignment of crystals

Issues:

X-ray beam intensity was weak at 12.7 keV (100 uJ), so we decided to use 10 keV

1) BKR calls SUN11h20 and informs about issues with the SA1 SRA. Motors in ERROR.

2) Additionally, there was this morning a fire alarm, where in one rack (SASE1 rack 1.1 in XTD2) the gas extinguishing system was triggered, see also https://ttfinfo.desy.de/XFELelog/show.jsp?dir=/2025/03/19.01_M&pos=2025-01-19T10:22:14

PRC investigating.

BEAM STATUS: SA1 is still lasing at 1100 uJ at 9 keV, IMGFEL is inserted and beam visible. XGM and imagers operational.

• All SA1-SRA MOTORS (SA1_XTD2_PSLIT/MOTOR/) in sa1_beckhoff_mov are in ERROR and cannot be reset.
• Same for SA1_XTD2_FLT/MOTOR/TARGET (in ERROR and cannot be reset)
• SA1_XTD2_SRA_SLIT/MDL/MAIN in ERROR
• Same for SA1_XTD9_IMGPII45/MOTOR/NAVITAR_FOCUS and _ZOOM, but these karabo devices can be RESET, however Hardware State remains ERROR. Hardware interlocked.
• Same for SA1_XTD2_PES/SWITCH/G1_OK and G2_OK, but these karabo devices can be RESET, and the Hardware State here is then OFF. Hardware REGION is normal.
• SA1_XTD2_PES/SERIAL/V101256D and SA1_XTD2_PES/VALVE/V101256D in ERROR, can be reset. the STATE = NORMAL.
• Also found in ERROR: SA1_XTD2_WATCHDOG/MDL/STOP2_BKG_IMGFEL (but can be reset, is stopped).
• BeckhoffPlcMonitor SA1_BR_SYS/PLC/MOV_PLCMON in ERROR, can be reset, Hardware state NORMAL.
• SA1_XTD9_MIRR/ACTRL/RZ in ERROR (not the other related motors)
• SA1_XTD2_PSLIT/LVDT/BLADE... all in ERROR, can be reset, then hardware state ON. Hardware error description: "PLC Error: Terminal is not operational"
• SA1_XTD9_MIRR/ASESN/RY and RZ in ERROR, can be reset, then hardware state ON. Hardware error description: "0xc009"
• SA1_BR_SYS/PLC/XFELO_PLCMON in ERROR, can be reset, Hardware state NORMAL.
• SA1_XTD2_DOOCS/CAM/OTRC_2615_T9 (DOOCS-to-karabo bridge for transmissive imager) not instantiated. I instantiate it, there are no issues, works fine.
• Everything OK with SA1 vacuum devices.

Actions for BKR to continue SASE tuning:

1. The IMGFEL image is oversaturated. Changing to BN. The beam is at (13.5mm / 4mm), while the handover cross is at (12.75, 5.22mm). Beam is clipping at the top SRA blade.
2. inserting transmissive imager (YAG). Beam is fully visible and centered at X=1045,Y=1140. Instruction to BKR to use this imager to shift the beam center, and then continue on IMGFEL.

Further actions:

1. Information to DRC (Bruno)
2. He will inform EEE-OCD to look into the issue and see what they might be able to fix without an access. 
3. If they find out an access is required to fix hardware in XTD2, we will request an access (probably not today but MON or TUE). 
4. A redmine ticket of DOC will collect the infos from DRC and EEE-OCD.

A similar issue at SA1 XTD2 rack 1.1 had occurred in November 2024, see https://in.xfel.eu/elog/OPERATION-2024/205

Updates MON morning:

• EEE made the access request and it was scheduled for MON 10am: #215916 - Suspected blown fuse replacement in Rack 1.1
   

SASE1 pulse energy drops slowly three times

SASE1 XGM detects three times during the morning some slow drop in puls energies from the SASE1 undulator.
The machine cannot find any correlation with any electron diagnostics.
The XGM-measured beam position indicates no beam position drift (which could then by gradual clipping explain the loss in pulse energy).