Electron–Cyclotron Laser Using Free-Electron Two-Quantum Stark Radiation in a Strong Uniform Axial Magnetic Field and an Alternating Axial Electric Field in a Voltage-Supplied Pill-Box Cavity

Abstract

We consider the radiation from the beam electrons traveling in a strong uniform axial magnetic field and an axial alternating electric field of wavelength λw generated by a voltage-supplied pill-box cavity. The beam electrons emit genuine laser radiation that propagates only in the axial direction through free-electron two-quantum Stark radiation. We find that laser radiation takes place only at the expense of the axial kinetic energy when λw ≪ c/(ωc/γ), where ωc/γ is the relativistic electron–cyclotron frequency. We formulate the laser power based on quantum-wiggler electrodynamics, and envision a laser of length 10 m with estimated power 0.1 GW/(kA) in the 10−4 cm wavelength range.