High power terahertz radiation source based on electron beam wakefields

Rev Sci Instrum. 2013 Feb;84(2):022706. doi: 10.1063/1.4790432.

Abstract

A table top device for producing high peak power (tens of megawatts to a gigawatt) T-ray beams is described. An electron beam with a rectangular longitudinal profile is produced out of a photoinjector via stacking of the laser pulses. The beam is also run off-crest of the photoinjector rf to develop an energy chirp. After passing through a dielectric loaded waveguide, the beam's energy becomes modulated by its self-wake. In a chicane beamline following the dielectric energy-bunching section this energy modulation is converted to a density modulation-a bunch train. The density modulated beam can be sent through a power extraction section, like a dielectric loaded accelerating structure, or simply can intercept a foil target, producing THz radiation of various bandwidths and power levels.