Wire-Scanners with Sub-Micrometer Resolution: Developments and Measurements

Monitors of the beam transverse profile with ever more demanding spatial resolution and minimal invasivity are required by the FEL community. In order to improve the spatial resolution towards the sub-micrometer limit as well as to decrease the impact on the lasing process, nano-fabricated wire-scanners have been manufactured independently at PSI and FERMI by means of a lithographic technique [1,2]. Experimental tests carried out at SwissFEL at a low emittance demonstrated the capability of such innovative wire-scanner solutions to resolve beam transverse profiles with a size of 400-500 nm without being affected by any resolution limit. Status and outlook of nano-fabricated wire-scanners will be presented.