Feasible Design of a Free Electron Laser Based on the Smith–Parsell Effect

A free electron laser design is considered in which coherent radiation is generated during the flight of a bunched electron beam near a periodic metal target (Smith–Parsell radiation). If the target (array) is placed in a special resonator, optical feedback can be realized. It is proposed to use an array made of thin conductive strips separated with vacuum gaps, since the radiation output in this case is much higher than that attainable with conventional arrays. Varying the array parameters, one can choose the necessary direction and required spectral distribution of the Smith–Parsell radiation. When radiation is generated in the direction normal to the trajectory of the electron beam, the array acts as one of the resonator mirrors.     

Stimulated Smith-Purcell radiation

JETP Letters - The design of free-electron lasers (FELs) based on submillimeter-range undulators involves difficulties associated with the fabrication of undulators with a very small period. To do...     

Experimental Facility for Investigating Polarization Bremsstrahlung in the Optical and X-ray Ranges Based on a 6-MeV Microtron

The parameters of an experimental facility based on a 6-MeV microtron are given. In addition to the microtron, the facility includes a beam transport channel, a scattering chamber with a goniometer, detectors of different types, and a system of data collection and processing. A program of immediate future experimental investigations is outlined.     

Measurement of the angular characteristics of transition radiation in near and far zones

A method is developed for measuring the angular distribution of radiation in the near zone that excludes the contribution of the sizes of a radiation source to angular characteristics. Using this method, absolute measurements of the angular distribution of coherent transition radiation are performed in the millimeter wavelength range. It is shown that the measured characteristics correspond to the respective theoretical characteristics obtained in the far zone approximation.     

Optical Polarization Radiation of Relativistic Electrons in Conducting Targets

A theoretical model and results of experiments on optical polarization radiation of relativistic electrons from conducting targets performed on the synchrotron and microtron of Nuclear Physics Institute at Tomsk Polytechnic University are reported. The measurements of spectral characteristics of resonance polarization radiation in periodic targets over a wide range of electron energies (both in the Smyth–Purcell geometry and for different angles between the targets and the direction of the electron beam) show reasonable agreement with theoretical estimates.