History of the FEL
John Madey (1943-2016) is the inventor of the Free Electron Laser (FEL).
During John’s early life, he and his brother Jules studied and practiced utilizing ham radios. John learned a vast amount about the technology used, especially the vacuum tubes used within the transmitters. This early start and interest in mechanics drove him to graduate from Caltech with a MS and a PhD from Stanford University.
John Madey focused specifically on whether the transition rate for bremsstrahlung could be amplified through stimulated emission, which led him to develop the FEL. John Madey eventually transferred his FEL to Duke University and taught for 10 years, but he encountered and won a legal dispute, leading him to transfer to University of Hawaii at Manoa.
At UHM (1998-2016), John Madey taught graduate students with his own FEL facility. In 2012, he won the Robert R. Wilson Prize from the American Physical Society for outstanding achievement.
Following the untimely passing of Prof. John Madey in 2016, the accelerator systems were kept in operational standby, with the vacuum systems continuously maintained to protect the equipment. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic paused all operations until 2023. Currently, the main klystron is undergoing periodic high-voltage conditioning, and perveance measurements indicate that the system remains close to its original performance and design specifications. Upgrades to the vacuum system, linac controls, and RF signal generation system are actively underway.
Further readings and sources:
