IR and THz radiometry

Electron storage rings have proven to be brilliant radiation sources in the VUV, the soft and the hard X-ray regions of the spectrum. In recent years, their strength as a unique source of IR radiation has also become apparent and is increasingly being exploited at synchrotron radiation facilities around the world. At the MLS three beamlines dedicated to the use of IR synchrotron radiation are planned: The long period undulator U180 provides radiation with high flux in the MIR spectral range (up to 20 μm), a special THz beamline optimized for the FIR/THz spectral range, and an IR beamline optimized for the NIR to FIR. The IR beamlines will take advantage of the high brightness, the high flux, and the broadband behavior of the synchrotron radiation source. Additionally, the MLS is the first dedicated storage ring designed und prepared for the production of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in the FIR and THz region. CSR occurs when the electrons in a bunch emit synchrotron radiation in phase. CSR intensity is proportional to the square of the number of electrons per bunch in contrast to the linear dependence of the usual incoherent radiation. Since the number of electrons per bunch is typically very large (> 10⁶), the potential intensity gain for a CSR source is huge. The aim is to develop IR experimental stations at the MLS for the NIR, MIR and FIR wavelength region and make them accessible to the PTB and to an interested scientific community. We are planning microspectroscopy experiments and the characterization and calibration of IR and THz detectors and optical components.