Operation of higher harmonic oscillations in free-electron lasers.

We report for the first time the experimental achievement of a seventh-harmonic free-electron laser (FEL) oscillation. The measured FEL gains and average FEL powers for higher harmonics were identical to those calculated by a one-dimensional FEL theory. The measured linewidths of the higher-harmonic FELs were narrower than that of the fundamental FEL owing to the narrower spectral widths of the spontaneous emissions. By applying the higher-harmonic FEL oscillation to a resonator-type FEL with an advanced accelerator, an x-ray FEL oscillator can be realized at lower electron-beam energy.