Very high power THz radiation at Jefferson Lab

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Quantum Electronics
• Photonics

Background:

• Conventional terahertz (THz) radiation generation methods often lack high intensity and specific coherence properties.
• Ultrafast laser techniques produce high-quality THz radiation but can be complex and costly.
• Relativistic electron beams offer a potential pathway for enhanced THz generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the production of high-power broadband terahertz (THz) light.
• To characterize the source based on coherent emission from relativistic electrons.
• To compare the properties of this novel THz source with existing technologies.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing coherent emission from relativistic electrons to generate THz radiation.
• Performing theoretical calculations to model the THz source.
• Conducting experimental verification of the theoretical predictions.
• Comparing the generated THz radiation properties with those from ultrafast laser sources.

Main Results:

• Achieved high average power (20 W) and peak power (approximately 1 MW) of broadband THz light.
• Demonstrated spatially coherent THz emission.
• Produced short-duration THz pulses with transform-limited spectral content.
• Observed intensity enhancement of many orders of magnitude compared to conventional THz sources due to relativistic effects.

Conclusions:

• The developed source provides high-intensity, high-quality THz radiation through coherent emission from relativistic electrons.
• The radiation properties are analogous to those from ultrafast laser sources, including spatial coherence and spectral content.
• Relativistic enhancement offers a significant advantage for generating powerful THz light.