Long-pulse operation at constant output power and single-frequency mode of a high-power electrostatic free-electron maser with depressed collector

Electrostatic tapering for efficient generation of radiation

We demonstrate the feasibility of electrostatic (dc) tapering such that the net average force of the electromagnetic (ac) field is compensated by a dc field, which at resonance may be interpreted as "direct" energy transfer from the dc to the ac field. This combination persists in all three components of the setup-e-gun, resonant zone, and collector, in each one playing a different role. In equilibrium, the two field components field-emit at the cathode a density modulated cylindrical beam which is accelerated along the e-gun by the dc field; the latter also focuses the e-beam. Radiation confinement perpendicular to the e-beam is ensured by an array of dielectric Bragg-mirrors and an array of metallic hollow electrodes impose synchronous bunches and wave. This double periodic structure ensures the coexistence of dc and ac fields in the same volume. Numerical simulations demonstrate the feasibility of generation of order of 1[W] power at 1 THz from a volume on a scale of few mm^{3} with efficiency of the order of 25%.

Energy recovery in an optical linear collider

It is demonstrated that recovery of the electromagnetic energy of the fundamental mode at the output of an acceleration structure leads to a significant efficiency enhancement. When using a single bunch, the number of electrons accelerated is rather small. In fact, this number is virtually identical to the case when no feedback loop is employed. To increase this number, in parallel with the efficiency enhancement associated with the feedback loop, it is necessary to split the bunch into a train of microbunches-this last process leads to suppression of high-order modes.