Tailored Terahertz Pulses from a Laser-Modulated Electron Beam

Journal Article · Fri Apr 28 04:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.164801· OSTI ID:20775185

Byrd, J M; Hao, Z; Martin, M C; Robin, D S; Sannibale, F; Schoenlein, R W; Zholents, A A; Zolotorev, M S ^[1]

---

1. Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

We present a new method to generate steady and tunable, coherent, broadband terahertz radiation from a relativistic electron beam modulated by a femtosecond laser. We have demonstrated this in the electron storage ring at the Advanced Light Source. Interaction of an electron beam with a femtosecond laser pulse copropagating through a wiggler modulates the electron energies within a short slice of the electron bunch with about the same duration of the laser pulse. The bunch develops a longitudinal density perturbation due to the dispersion of electron trajectories, and the resulting hole emits short pulses of temporally and spatially coherent terahertz pulses synchronized to the laser. We present measurements of the intensity and spectra of these pulses. This technique allows tremendous flexibility in shaping the terahertz pulse by appropriate modulation of the laser pulse.

• OSTI ID: 20775185
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 96; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ADVANCED LIGHT SOURCE
BEAM BUNCHING
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON DENSITY
HOLES
LASERS
MODULATION
PULSES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
TRAJECTORIES