We recently commissioned the Next GenerAtion Photocathode Laser system (NEPAL) in Hamburg’s XFEL facilities (FLASH and EuXFEL) and at DESY’s Photoinjector Test Facility (PITZ). The system delivers deep UV pulse trains up to 1 ms long at repetition rates as high as 4.5 MHz, with temporal and spatial shaping capabilities and individual amplitude control for bunch charge manipulation. The shaping features enable the generation of exceptionally low emittance electron beams, essential for extending the EuXFEL X-ray photon energy beyond 25 keV and for future high duty cycle upgrades. Temporal shaping is achieved through a high-resolution spatial light modulator in the near-infrared driver laser, allowing precise spectral amplitude and phase control of UV pulses. We will present advanced control schemes that pre-compensate for laser nonlinearities and initial experimental results at EuXFEL. We generated UV flat-top pulse profiles with durations ranging from 10ps to 20ps and successfully transferred them onto the electron beam. This achievement represents a significant step toward emittance optimization at EuXFEL and will expand the facility's operational energy range in the near future.

The European Spallation Source ESS is a multi-nation, interdisciplinary research facility based on the world’s most powerful neutron source that will operate with high standards of availability and reliability minimizing downtime periods. In order to meet these goals, critical component’s performance and aging need to be constantly monitored and assessed. Transient Grating Spectroscopy (TGS), a laser-based tecnique developed for the study of nuclear materials, has been established at ESS as an investigating tool for comparing values of thermal diffusivity before and after irradiation in particle accelerators’s materials. The implementation of this non-destructive method offers a powerful instrument for assessing the characteristics of the materials during the design phase of current and future components and, with further development in terms of resizing and deployability, also opens up the possibility for its application in the online monitoring of the machine.