Spatial coherence in the transition radiation spectrum

The formal expression of the spectral distribution of the transition radiation intensity will be here derived in the case of a relativistic three-dimensional charged beam. Charged beams with a particle density such as is typically encountered in a particle accelerator will be considered. In particular, a sufficiently high particle density will be supposed so that a continuous spatial distribution function can be reliably attributed to the charged bunch. The formula of the spectral distribution of the transition radiation intensity originated by a relativistic three-dimensional charged beam - already presented in a previous work - will be here submitted to a formal check and interpreted in the physical consequences. The present work contains an additional mathematical derivation of the radiation energy spectrum consisting in a different method to implement the continuous limit in the distribution function of the particle coordinates. In the former derivation of the formula, the average operation with respect to the continuous distribution function of the particle coordinates was applied to the radiation intensity of a N electron bunch. In the present one, it is applied to the radiation electric field of a N electron bunch. The comparison of the two alternative but in any case equivalent formal routes to the spectral distribution of the transition radiation intensity will offer the possibility to directly cross-check the mathematical self-consistency of the presented results within the limits of applicability of the continuous limit approximation. According to such results, both the flux and the angular distribution of the photons emitted at a given wavelength - even shorter than the longitudinal length of the bunch - are expected to undergo a modification as the beam transverse size is varied with respect to the observed wavelength. As a function of the beam transverse size the spatial coherence degree of the transition radiation source is thus expected to change. The physical consistency of such an effect occurring in the transition radiation emission by a charged beam can be argued on the basis of a compatibility criterion with other similar relativistic electromagnetic radiative phenomena and interpreted in the framework of the temporal causality and the Huygens-Fresnel principles. Finally, the aspect of the applicability of the continuous limit approximation to the case of a charged beam in a particle accelerator is treated in terms of a practical quantitative criterion.     

Transition radiation of a charged particle crossing the waveguide filled with a dispersive dielectric medium perpendicularly to the waveguide axis

The theory of charged particle transition radiation is developed for the case when the particle crosses the waveguide, which is filled with a piecewise-homogeneous dielectric, perpendicularly to the waveguide axis. The cases where the charged particle is flying between two dispersive plates and between two thin impedance films are considered.     

Excitation of a wake field by a relativistic electron bunch in a semi-infinite dielectric waveguide

A wake field excited by a relativistic electron bunch in a semi-infinite metal waveguide filled with a dielectric consists of the Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation, the “quenching”-wave field, and transient radiation, which interfere with each other. An exact analytic expression for the transient component of the field of a thin relativistic annular bunch is derived for the first time. The evolution of the space distribution of a field excited by a finite-size electron bunch is numerically calculated. The excitation of the wake field by a periodic train of electron bunches in a finite-length waveguide is studied.     

Theory of cyclotron superradiance from a moving electron bunch under group synchronism conditions

A theory is presented of cyclotron superradiance from an electron bunch rotating in a uniform magnetic field and drifting at a velocity close to the group velocity of a wave propagating in a waveguide. It is shown that, in a comoving frame of reference, the bunch emits radiation at a frequency close to the cutoff frequency of the waveguide. Superradiance implies the azimuthal self-bunching of electrons, which is accompanied by coherent emission of the stored rotational energy in a short electromagnetic pulse. Linear and nonlinear stages of the process are analyzed. The growth rate of the superradiance instability is determined. It is shown that the maximum growth rate is attained under group synchronism conditions. The peak power and the characteristic duration of the cyclotron superradiance pulse are determined by numerical simulation. The characteristic features of the superradiance pulses are described in the comoving and laboratory frames. The results of theoretical analysis are compared with experimental data.     

Experimental observation of superradiance in the stimulated scattering of an intense microwave pump wave by a counterpropagating subnanosecond high-current relativistic electron bunch

The generation of ultrashort superradiant pulses in the stimulated scattering of an intense microwave (38 GHz) pump wave by a counterpropagating high-current relativistic electron bunch has been observed. Scattered radiation is a single ～200-ps pulse with a peak power of about 1 MW. Owing to the Doppler shift of the radiation frequency, frequencies up to 150 GHz are present in the spectrum of the scattered pulse.     

Cerenkov radiation of a spatially extended charged bunch moving along the axis of a cylindrical channel in a transparent medium

Relations are obtained which determine the electromagnetic field produced by an axially symmetric bunch of charged particles moving along the axis of a cylindrical channel in a transparent medium. The problem of the Cerenkov radiation of such a bunch is investigated and relations are obtained for the intensity of this radiation.In conclusion the author thanks Professor A. A. Sokolov for discussing the results.     

Observation of fine structures in laser-driven electron beams using coherent transition radiation

We have measured the coherent optical transition radiation emitted by an electron beam from laser-plasma interaction. The measurement of the spectrum of the radiation reveals fine structures of the electron beam in the range 400-1000 nm. These structures are reproduced using an electron distribution from a 3D particle-in-cell simulation and are attributed to microbunching of the electron bunch due to its interaction with the laser field. When the radiator is placed closer to the interaction point, spectral oscillations have also been recorded, signature of the interference of the radiation produced by two electron bunches delayed by 74 fs. The second electron bunch duration is shown to be ultrashort to match the intensity level of the radiation. Whereas transition radiation was used at longer wavelengths in order to estimate the electron bunch length, this study focuses on the ultrashort structures of the electron beam.     

Transition radiation of surface electromagnetic waves by electron bunches in a cylindrical waveguide

Transition surface electromagnetic radiation from electron bunches that cross a metal-insulator-semiconductor structure in a perfectly conducting semi-infinite cylindrical waveguide is studied. It is shown that, using a periodic sequence (train) of electron bunches, a particular surface waveguide eigenmode can be amplified by bringing its frequency to resonance with the bunch repetition frequency in the train. Those eigenmodes are amplified most efficiently whose frequency falls into the range occupied by the first maximum of the geometric factor of one bunch.     

Coherent transition radiation from thin targets irradiated by high intensity laser pulses

A theoretical examination on coherent transition radiations (CTR) from the surface of thin solid density target irradiated by high intensity laser is presented. The theory is extended to consider the expansion dynamics of thin foils. The motion of target surfaces leads to the modulation on the temporal structure of micro bunches in the electron beam as well as the spectrum of CTR. The spectral shifts of radiation are owing to the enhancement of electron bunch separation and the relativistic Doppler effects. The radiation power distribution is strongly affected by the temporal coherence of electron beam structure, so thus the electron temperature and velocity dispersions. With these effects accounted for, the spectral properties of coherent transition radiation can provide insights into the expansion of thin foil targets irradiated by intense laser pulse as well as the fast electron transport through it.     

On the theory of transition radiation in a waveguide

The transition radiation from a particle that intersects the waveguide perpendicular to its axis is considered. The expressions are derived for the radiation fields and intensities. The example of a rectangular waveguide is used to investigate the properties of the radiation, and the conditions which determine the Vavilov-Cerenkov radiation spectrum are derived.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 191–195, February, 1972.     

Cyclotron superradiance of a high-current electron bunch under group synchronism conditions

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the process of induced coherent emission (superradiance) in an electron bunch rotating in a homogeneous magnetic field. We have shown that this process makes it possible to generate ultrashort microwave pulses. In this case, the optimum conditions are found under group synchronism conditions, when the translational velocity of the bunch matches the group velocity of the radiation propagating in the waveguide circuit. For experimental investigation of the superradiance, we used a RADAN accelerator with subnanosecond electron pulse sharpener. In the 35 GHz range, we obtained microwave pulses with record short duration, down to 0.4 nsec for a peak power level up to 200 kW. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 89–97, December, 1996.     

Observation of terahertz emission from a laser-plasma accelerated electron bunch crossing a plasma-vacuum boundary

Coherent radiation in the 0.3-3 THz range has been generated from femtosecond electron bunches at a plasma-vacuum boundary via transition radiation. The bunches produced by a laser-plasma accelerator contained 1.5 nC of charge. The THz energy per pulse within a limited 30 mrad collection angle was 3-5 nJ and scaled quadratically with bunch charge, consistent with coherent emission. Modeling indicates that this broadband source produces about 0.3 microJ per pulse within a 100 mrad angle, and that increasing the transverse plasma size and electron beam energy could provide more than 100 microJ/pulse.     

Observation of subterahertz monochromatic transition radiation from a grating

Transition radiation appearing when a charged particle crosses the interface between two media with different dielectric constants, e.g., a metal–vacuum interface, has been well studied in a wide spectral range. However, primarily, radiation from smooth interfaces has been studied. Transition radiation from conducting gratings (grating transition radiation) is experimentally studied and theoretically analyzed in this work. In this case, it is possible to obtain monochromatic radiation with a tunable frequency depending on the rotation angle of the grating with respect to the electron momentum. Coherent grating transition radiation can be efficiently used as a source of terahertz radiation based on the use of a compact electron accelerator with an energy below 10 MeV and a bunch duration of ≤1 ps.     

Wakefield radiation generated by an electron bunch in a rectangular dielectric waveguide

Vavilov-Cerenkov radiation generated by a relativistic electron bunch in a rectangular waveguide with a transverse-inhomogeneous dielectric filling is analyzed. A method is proposed for constructing an orthogonal basis of the transverse operator, which can be subsequently used for determining the wakefield of the relativistic bunch moving parallel to the waveguide axis. The dispersion equation for the structure is derived and the expressions for the wake field produced by such a bunch are obtained. The formalism described here forms the basis for calculating parameters of the accelerating structure for generator bunches of the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator (AWA) at the Argonne National Laboratory and the FACET complex of the SLAC accelerator. It is shown that using such structures, accelerating field gradients higher than 150 MV/m can be generated at frequencies 20?C35 GHz and exceeding 1 GeV/m in the frequency range ??1 THz.     

Compact narrow-band THz radiation source based on photocathode rf gun

Narrow-band THz coherent Cherenkov radiation can be driven by a subpicosecond electron bunch traveling along the axis of a hollow cylindrical dielectric-lined waveguide. We present a scheme of compact THz radiation source based on the photocathode rf gun. On the basis of our analytic result, the subpicosecond electron bunch with high charge (800 pC) can be generated directly in the photocathode rf gun. According to the analytical and simulated results, a narrow emission spectrum peaked at 0.24 THz with 2 megawatt (MW) peak power is expected to gain in the proposed scheme (the length of the facility is about 1.2 m).     

Generation of ultrashort microwave pulses based on cyclotronsuperradiance

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the superradiance from a bunch of electrons rotating in a homogeneous magnetic field. A RADAN-303B modulator equipped with a subnanosecond pulse slicer has been used to generate high current subnanosecond electron bunches (250 kV, 0.1-1 kA, 0.3-0.5 ns). Transverse momentum was imparted to the electrons by a kicker. It is shown that for the experimental observation of cyclotron superradiance from high current electron bunches the optimum conditions are the conditions of group synchronism, when the translational velocity of the bunch coincides with the group velocity of the radiation propagating in the waveguide. In the 35 GHz range microwave pulses with record short duration, down to 0.4 ns, with a peak power level up to 200 kW, have been obtained     

Dynamics of the spectral width of intense laser pulses consisting of several field oscillations in optical waveguides

The dependence of the rms spectral width of a light pulse consisting of several light-field oscillations on the distance passed in an optical waveguide with arbitrary dispersion and nonresonant electronic nonlinearity has been derived. This dependence allows one to rapidly predict the scenarios of the initial evolution of the spectrum (broadening, distance independence, or compression) by using the input pulse parameters and waveguide characteristics. It is shown that the pulse spectral width increases when the enrichment of the spectrum due to the generation of multiple harmonics is taken into account. In this case, for pulses with the spectrum in the region of the anomalous group dispersion of the waveguide, there is the intensity range for which the self-narrowing of the main spectral peak around the central radiation frequency is characteristic.     

Transition radiation from an extended bunch of charged particles

The spatial distribution of the transition radiation generated by an extended system of charges is studied. The charges sequentially cross the interface at equispaced points. Also, the transition from a spherical bunch with the uniform charge distribution is considered. The radiation patterns produced by the point charge and by the bunch of the charges are shown to differ significantly at certain sizes of the bunch expressed in terms of the wavelength. Charge distributions such that the transition radiation exhibits the properties typical of the Doppler effect or of Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation are found to be possible.     

Excitation of a rectangular waveguide by pulsed electric and magnetic currents

We consider the problem of excitation of electromagnetic fields by electric and magnetic currents that are present in a rectangular waveguide. The space-time Green’s functions are obtained for a waveguide with ideally conducting walls. The primary attention is given to analysis of the energy spectrum of radiation and the influence of the finite duration of the current pulse and the finite dimensions of the conductor with the current on the above spectrum. It is shown that the influence of the above properties on the spectrum is weak at low frequencies and increases with frequency. N. I. Lobachevsky State University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 41, No. 4, pp. 456–468, April, 1998.     

Transition radiation from relativistic electrons crossing a perfectly conducting conical surface: Calculation and experiment

The angular distributions of the transition radiation intensity when a charged particle passes through the vertex of a perfectly conducting conical surface have been calculated. The radiation generated both when the particle exits the conductor and when it falls on the conductor has been considered. The angular distributions of the intensity of the transition radiation generated by a bunch of relativistic electrons have been measured in the millimeter wavelength range. A microtron with a particle energy of 7.4 MeV was the source of electrons. The influence of the particle injection direction and the conical-surface opening angle on the angular distribution of the radiation intensity has been studied. The measurements have shown that the distribution of the radiation generated by a charge when it enters the horn differs significantly in pattern from the distribution when it exits the horn.