An experiment on the investigation of optical diffraction radiation (ODR) from a slit target as a possible tool for noninvasive electron beam-size diagnostics has been performed at the KEK accelerator test facility. The experimental setup has been installed at the diagnostics section of the extraction line. We have performed the first incoherent ODR observation from a slit target. The measured angular distributions are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical expectation. The beam-size effect onto the ODR angular pattern has been observed. Moreover, the sensitivity to the beam size as small as $14\mu \mathrm{m}$ has been achieved.

• Received 17 March 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.244802