arXiv:2603.00294v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: High-brightness X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FELs) produce spatially and temporally coherent pulses on attosecond to femtosecond timescales, providing a transformative tool for discovery across biology, chemistry, physics, and materials science. However, most existing FELs are kilometer-scale facilities with billion-dollar construction costs and low repetition rates (about 100 Hz), which limits their accessibility and scientific throughput. This paper introduces a novel design for a compact, high-repetition-rate (MHz) EUV to 1 nm soft X-ray FEL with a footprint of less than 100 meters. This design is suitable for installation within university or research institution settings where space is limited. The facility leverages a multi-turn recirculating linear accelerator that integrates state-of-the-art superconducting accelerator technology with recent advances in diffraction-limited storage rings. We present the conceptual design and analyze the impact of incoherent and coherent synchrotron radiation, demonstrating that these effects are not limiting factors for achieving high-quality electron beams. Such a compact X-ray FEL facility would substantially reduce both construction and operational costs, greatly expanding access to these powerful research tools. Furthermore, the design provides a potential upgrade path to generating hard X-ray radiation by incorporating high accelerating gradient structures to further accelerate a portion of the MHz electron beam.