Electrostatic tapering for efficient generation of radiation.

Abstract

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%.