Dedicated infrared synchrotron radiation source at the ALS

We present ideas for a storage ring dedicated to and optimized for the production of synchrotron radiation over the infrared wavelength range from 1-1000 /spl mu/m. The site for the 66 m circumference ring is atop the existing ALS booster synchrotron shielding. This area provides enough floor space for both the ring and beamlines, and hutches. We plan to operate the ring in two modes: as a conventional light source and as a superradiant source in the far-IR. In the conventional mode, our design allows greater transmission of light at longer wavelengths in the far-infrared than typical light sources and significantly improves beam stability. In the superradiant mode, we hope to achieve coherent emission of synchrotron radiation over the 200-1000 /spl mu/m wavelength range by shortening the bunches at very low bunch currents. An additional goal is to achieve bunches short enough to emit coherently over the wavelength range from 200-1000 /spl mu/m. We also hope to minimize the cost of the ring by using existing designs for components such as magnets. The scale of the project is expected to be comparable to an ALS beamline and is considered to be an extension of the capabilities of the ALS facility similar to the superbend project. This paper touches only on the areas of the ring design relevant to IR SR.