Tuning the ultralow β^{*} optics at the KEK Accelerator Test Facility 2

For future linear colliders, a nanometer-scale beam size at the interaction point (IP) is one of the most challenging technical aspects. To explore the feasibility of a final focus system with a high chromaticity level, comparable to that of the Compact Linear Collider, the ultralow β^{*} optics has been proposed and tuned at the KEK Accelerator Test Facility 2. In this paper, the recent experimental results are presented, which demonstrate the capability of achieving and stabilizing a vertical average beam size of 60 nm and below at the virtual IP. The observed vertical beam size is about 20 nm above the numerical predictions in the presence of static and dynamic imperfections. We interpret this discrepancy as beam size growth due to multipole fields, beam jitters and wakefield effects, and diagnostic errors.