Hole coupling in free electron lasers

Numerical simulations of the performance of a far-infrared free electron laser with an aperture in the upstream cavity mirror are presented. Two different applications of mirror apertures are studied: broadband extraction of radiation and injection of the electron beam. The emphasis is on the effect of the aperture on the amplitude of the higher-order transverse modes. It is shown that the mode distribution at saturation can be greatly influenced by variation of the mirror radius of curvature. A simple formula which is quite useful for predicting the dominant higher-order modes is derived. This permits optimization of the cavity with respect to the application in question