Synergistic quasi-free electron laser
OwnerHarold H. Szuinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A synergistic quasi-free electron laser for generating infrared radiation. The laser includes a means for producing a volume of ionized gas plasma, a means for directing an electron beam through the gas plasma in a first direction, and a means for directing a laser pump beam into the gas plasma in a second direction opposite to the first direction to produce synergistic bunching of the electron beam and the ionized gas plasma. A portion of the laser pump beam is backscattered by the bunched electron beam and gas plasma to form an output beam having a frequency up-shifted from that of the laser pump beam. The frequency of the output beam may be tuned by changing the velocity of the electron beam.
Claims17
An infrared radiation generator device comprising:
- means for producing a volume of ionized gas plasma;
- means for directing an electron beam through said gas plasma in a first direction;
- and
- means for directing a laser pump beam into said gas plasma in a second direction opposite said first direction to produce synergistic bunching of said electron beam and said gas plasma;
- said synergistically bunched electron beam and gas plasma acting to backscatter a portion of said laser pump beam to form an output beam;
- said output beam having a frequency .OMEGA..sub.1 as given by:
- ##EQU7## where:
- .OMEGA..sub.o is the frequency of said laser pump beam;
- V.sub.ob is the velocity of said electron beam;
- and
- c is the free space velocity of light.
An infrared radiation generator device comprising:
- means for producing a volume of ionized gas plasma;
- means for directing an electron beam through said gas plasma in a first direction;
- and
- means for directing a laser pump beam into said gas plasma in a second direction opposite said first direction to produce synergistic bunching of said electron beam and said gas plasma;
- said synergistically bunched electron beam and gas plasma acting to backscatter a portion of said laser pump beam to form an output beam having a growth rate .GAMMA..sub.syn given by:
- ##EQU9## where:
- m.sub.b is the density of said electron beam
- m.sub.p is the density of said gas plasma;
- V.sub.os is the quiver velocity of said electron beam;
- c is the free-space velocity of light;
- .OMEGA..sub.o is the frequency of said laser pump beam;
- and
- .omega..sub.op is the frequency of said gas plasma.
A method of generating infrared radiation, which comprises the steps of:
- providing a volume of ionized gas plasma;
- directing an electron beam through said gas plasma in a first direction;
- and
- directing a laser pump beam into said gas plasma in a second direction opposite said first direction to produce synergistic bunching of said electron beam and said gas plasma;
- said synergistically bunched electron beam and gas plasma acting to backscatter a portion of said laser pump beam to form an output beam having a growth rate .GAMMA..sub.syn given by:
- ##EQU11## where:
- m.sub.b is the density of said electron beam;
- m.sub.p is the density of said gas plasma;
- V.sub.os is the quiver velocity of said electron beam;
- c is the free-space velocity of light;
- .OMEGA..sub.o is the frequency of said laser pump beam;
- and
- .omega..sub.op is the frequency of said gas plasma.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.