Non-intercepting electron beam transverse diagnostics with optical diffraction radiation at the DESY FLASH facility

Linear colliders (LCs) and short wavelength free electron lasers (FELs) require ultra-high brilliant electron beams of so much power density that no intercepting device can sustain it. The development of suitable beam diagnostics, non-invasive and non-intercepting, is necessary to measure the properties of such beams.Optical diffraction radiation (ODR) is considered as one of the most promising candidates, as testified by the interest of many laboratories all around the world.An experiment based on the detection of ODR has been set-up at DESY FLASH Facility and it is under operation to measure the electron beam transverse parameters. The radiation is emitted by a high energetic electron beam passing through a sub-millimeter slit, opened on a screen made of aluminum deposited on a silicon substrate. Radiation is then detected by a low noise, high sensitivity CCD camera.We report here the preliminary results for a 680 MeV electron beam energy going through a 0.5 mm slit.