On the pumping of plasma lasers by a high-frequency-modulated electron beam

The possibility of effective pumping of plasma lasers by a high-frequency-modulated electron beam, i.e. an electron beam in the form of a periodic train of electron bunches, is discussed. It is shown that if such parameters of the medium as the relaxation times of the electron temperature ρ_Te and the electron density ρ_Ne are in agreement with the pulse width ρ_p and the interval between pulses, 1/?_m, this will facilitate effective laser pumping and amplitude modulation of the laser radiation. Existing microwave tubes, such as a traveling-wave tube and a klystron, provide the required parameters of a periodic train of current pulses (electron bunches) over a wide range of pulse widths ρ_p and pumping current amplitudes.