Compton scattering off polarized electrons with a high-finesse Fabry-Perot Cavity at JLab

We built and commissioned a new type of Compton polarimeter to measure the electron beam polarization at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Virginia, USA). The heart of this polarimeter is a high-finesse monolithic Fabry-Perot cavity. Its purpose is to amplify a primary 300 mW laser beam in order to improve the signal to noise ratio of the polarimeter. It is the first time that a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity is enclosed in the vacuum of a particle accelerator to monitor the beam polarization by Compton polarimetry. The measured finesse and amplification gain of the cavity are F = 26 000 and G = 7300. The electron beam crosses this high-power photon source at an angle of 23 mrad in the middle of the cavity where the photon beam power density is estimated to be 0.85 MW/cm(2). We have used this facility during the HAPPEX experiment (April-July 1999) and we give a preliminary measurement of Compton scattering asymmetry. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.