Coherent terahertz Smith–Purcell radiation from laser-wakefield-accelerated electron bunches

Optica 2026 Open access

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Authors: Ross Rudzinsky, Maxwell LaBerge, Arie Irman, J. Michael Klopf, Yen-Yu Chang, Alexander Debus, Franziska Marie Herrmann, Patrick Ufer, Susanne Schöbel, Ze Ouyang, Jason Brooks, Bryan Dinh
+5 more Leslie Zhang, Rafal Zgadzaj, Ulrich Schramm, Thomas Cowan, M. C. Downer
DOI: 10.1364/optica.580067
Cited by: 1
References: 98

Abstract

Radiation from undulating currents that charged-particle bunches induce when passing over a grating, known as Smith–Purcell radiation (SPR), becomes coherent for bunches shorter than the grating period. Millimeter-long bunches from radio-frequency accelerators generate coherent SPR only at mm-wave and low-THz frequencies. Here, we generate strong coherent 30 THz pulses by passing micrometer-long electron (e) bunches from a laser-wakefield accelerator within a millimeter of a grating without damaging it or perturbing the e-bunches. Such radiation promises non-invasive, single-shot diagnosis of femtosecond e-bunch profiles, including inside free-electron lasers, and a highly configurable source of synchronized THz/hard X-ray pulses for ultrafast high-field THz spectroscopy.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Particle Accelerators and Free-Electron Lasers Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics Gyrotron and Vacuum Electronics Research

Publication details

Journal / source
Optica
Publisher
Optica Publishing Group
Volume
13
Issue
5
Pages
810–810
Publication date
1 April 2026
Language
EN