Free Electron Lasers and Stimulated Scattering from Relativistic Electron Beams.
Abstract
Free electron lasers based on stimulated scattering from relativistic electron beams show potential for a new class of coherent radiation sources ranging from millimeter wavelengths down to optical wavelengths and beyond which are characterized by continuous tunability, very high power levels and competitive efficiencies. Here we present a comprehensive fully-relativistic treatment of stimulated backscattering from an electron beam with streaming velocity beta(sub zo)c. The incident pump wave is taken to be a static, circularly polarized, periodic magnetic field with wavenumber K sub O; the frequency of the scattered radiation is beta(sub zo) ck(sub O)/1-beta(sub zo). The analysis is linear in the scattered wave fields, but contains the pump field to all orders. The physical mechanism of the backscattering is provided by the v X B ponderomotive forces acting on the beam electrons in the presence of both the pump and the scattered waves. This force produces a longitudinal charge bunching which in turn gives rise to source currents for the scattered waves.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 08, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA066177
Entities
People
- Phillip A. Sprangle
- Robert A. Smith
- Victor L. Granatstein
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory