Generating coherent THz radiation in electron storage rings using an ac sextupole magnet and a vertical kicker magnet

Abstract

This paper proposes a new method for generating coherent radiation in the THz region from an electron storage ring. When the vertical chromaticity is modulated by an ac sextupole magnet, a vertical beam deflection caused by a kicker magnet produces a wavy spatial structure in the electron bunch after a number of revolutions. The vertically polarized synchrotron radiation from the wavy bunch becomes coherent at the wavelength of the spatial structure. This narrow bandwidth radiation is extremely strong, can be tuned by controlling ring parameters, and is easy to generate. By appropriate choice of ring parameters it is possible to generate radiation at 1 THz. © 2010 The American Physical Society.