Using a Bessel light beam as an ultrashort period helical undulator

Abstract

An undulator is a critical component to produce synchrotron radiation and a free electron laser. When a Bessel light beam carrying the orbit angular momentum copropagates with an electron beam bunch, a net transverse deflection force will be subjected to the latter one. As a result of dephasing effect, the deflection force will oscillate and act as an undulator. For such a laser based undulator, the period length can reach submillimeter level, which will greatly reduce the electron energy for the required x-ray production.