Design considerations for table-top, laser-based VUV and X-ray free   electron lasers
  A recent breakthrough in laser-plasma accelerators, based upon ultrashort high-intensity lasers, demonstrated the generation of quasi-monoenergetic GeV-electrons. With future Petawatt lasers ultra-high beam currents of ~100 kA in ~10 fs can be expected, allowing for drastic reduction in the undulator length of free-electron-lasers (FELs). We present a discussion of the key aspects of a table-top FEL design, including energy loss and chirps induced by space-charge and wakefields. These effects become important for an optimized table-top FEL operation. A first proof-of-principle VUV case is considered as well as a table-top X-ray-FEL which may open a brilliant light source also for new ways in clinical diagnostics. 
F. Gr\"uner, S. Becker, U. Schramm, T. Eichner, M. Fuchs, R.   Weingartner, D. Habs, J. Meyer-ter-Vehn, M. Geissler, M. Ferr...