Amplification of monochromatic short-wavelength radiation during the stochastic deceleration of a relativistic electron stream in an incoherent pump field

The use of incoherent multiwave pump radiation or randomly varying magnetostatic fields (stochastic undulators) for improving the energy conversion efficiency in free-electron lasers based on stimulated wave scattering and the stimulated undulator emission of relativistic electron beams is proposed. It is shown within the quasilinear approximation that the electronic efficiency increases in proportion to the width of the pump spectrum due to enrichment of the spectrum of combination waves which are synchronous with the electron beam and realization of a mechanism of stochastic particle deceleration when the signal wave is monochromatic. At the same time, the efficiency scarcely depends on the spread of the beam parameters, making the use of the method promising for improving the efficiency of free-electron lasers powered by intense relativistic electron beams. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 77–81 (July 1997)