CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Advanced Search
Home > Proceedings > Volume 2376 > Article
Paper
26 April 1995 High-power free-electron laser concepts and problems
John C. Goldstein
Author Affiliations +
Proceedings Volume 2376, Laser Power Beaming II; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.208218
Event: Photonics West '95, 1995, San Jose, CA, United States
Abstract
Free-electron lasers (FELs) have long been thought to offer the potential of high average power operation. That potential exists because of several unique properties of FELs, such as the removal of `waste heat' at the velocity of light, the `laser medium' (the electron beam) is impervious to damage by very high optical intensities, and the technology of generating very high average power relativistic electron beams. In particular, if one can build a laser with a power extraction efficiency (eta) which is driven by an electron beam of average power PEB, one expects a laser output power of PL equals (eta) PEB. One approach to FEL devices with large values of (eta) (in excess of 10%) is to use a `tapered' (or nonuniform) wiggler. This approach was followed at several laboratories during the FEL development program for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) project. In this paper, we review some concepts and technical requirements for high-power tapered-wiggler FELs driven by radio- frequency linear accelerators (rf-linacs) which were developed during the SDI project. Contributions from three quite different technologies--rf-accelerators, optics, and magnets--are needed to construct and operate an FEL oscillator. The particular requirements on these technologies for a high-power FEL were far beyond the state of the art in those areas when the SDI project started, so significant advances had to be made before a working device could be constructed. Many of those requirements were not clearly understood when the project started, but were developed during the course of the experimental and theoretical research for the project. This information can be useful in planning future high-power FEL projects.
© (1995) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Citation Download Citation
John C. Goldstein "High-power free-electron laser concepts and problems", Proc. SPIE 2376, Laser Power Beaming II, (26 April 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.208218
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
ORGANIZATIONAL
Sign in with credentials provided by your organization.
INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION
PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.
PERSONAL SIGN IN
No SPIE Account? Create one
PURCHASE THIS CONTENT
SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY
50 downloads per 1-year subscription
Members: $195
Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART
25 downloads per 1 - year subscription
Members: $145
Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART
PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE
Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available
Members: $17.00
Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART
PROCEEDINGS
 13 PAGES
DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY
GET CITATION
Advertisement
Advertisement
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission  Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace
KEYWORDS
Free electron lasers
Electron beams
Oscillators
Resonators
Optical components
Optical resonators
Magnetism
RELATED CONTENT
Subscribe to Digital Library
Receive Erratum Email Alert
Back to Top