  High-brightness electron beams with low energy spread at existing and future
x-ray free-electron lasers are affected by various collective beam
self-interactions and microbunching instabilities. The corresponding coherent
optical radiation effects, e.g., coherent optical transition radiation, render
electron beam profile imaging impossible and become a serious issue for all
kinds of electron beam diagnostics using imaging screens. Furthermore, coherent
optical radiation effects can also be related to intrinsically ultrashort
electron bunches or the existence of ultrashort spikes inside the electron
bunches. In this paper, we discuss methods to suppress coherent optical
radiation effects both by electron beam profile imaging in dispersive beamlines
and by using scintillation imaging screens in combination with separation
techniques. The suppression of coherent optical emission in dispersive
beamlines is shown by analytical calculations, numerical simulations, and
measurements. Transverse and longitudinal electron beam profile measurements in
the presence of coherent optical radiation effects in non-dispersive beamlines
are demonstrated by applying a temporal separation technique.
