First observation of Smith-Purcell radiation from relativistic electrons
- 21 September 1992
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 69 (12) , 1761-1764
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.69.1761
Abstract
A beam of 3.6-MeV electrons has been used to study the generation of radiation in the far infrared (FIR) by the Smith-Purcell mechanism. The dependence of wavelength on angle of emission, over angles from 56° to 150° and wavelengths from 350 to 1860 μm, is in excellent agreement with the Smith-Purcell dispersion relation. Comparison of the yield with that from a 5000-K source suggests that the spontaneous Smith-Purcell effect offers an easily tunable alternative to the synchrotron as a coherent FIR source, and that it could also form the basis of an inexpensive, compact free-electron laser.Keywords
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