Experimental characteristics of a high-gain free-electron laser amplifier operating at 8-mm and 2-mm wavelengths

Conference · Mon Jun 08 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6333587

Throop, A L; Orzechowski, T J; Anderson, B R; Chambers, F W; Clark, J C; Fawley, W M; Jong, R A; Halbach, K; Hopkins, D B; Sessler, A M

The Electron Laser Facility (ELF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) uses a high-current induction linac (3.5 MeV, 1000 A), in conjunction with a pulsed electromagnetic wiggler (4.0 M, 4000 G), to operate a free electron laser (FEL) that produces intense radiation in the microwave regime (2 to 8 mm). ELF is a high-gain, single-pass amplifier, using a commercial microwave source as an oscillator input (200 W-50 kW). Previous experiments at 35 GHz produced exponential gains of 40 dB/m, peak powers exceeding 1 GW, and beam-to-rf conversion efficiencies of 34%. Recent experiments at 140 GHz have demonstrated exponential gains of 22 dB/m, peak powers exceeding 50 MW, and total gains of 65 dB. In this paper, we describe the experimental results at these two frequencies and compare then with the predictions of simulation codes.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA); Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6333587
• Report Number(s): UCRL-95670; CONF-870622-9; ON: DE87012628
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
640301 -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Beams & their Reactions
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AMPLIFIERS
BEAM DYNAMICS
BEAMS
DATA
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FREE ELECTRON LASERS
INFORMATION
LASER POWER TRANSMISSION
LASERS
LEPTON BEAMS
MAGNETS
MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE BEAMS
POWER
POWER TRANSMISSION
RADIATIONS
WAVEGUIDES
WIGGLER MAGNETS