Traveling wave oscillations in the optical region: a theoretical examination

Abstract

The interaction of an electron beam with the optical field of a periodically perturbed dielectric thin-film waveguide is considered. When the electron velocity is nearly equal to that of one of the spatial harmonics of the field, a coherent exchange of energy can take place. This interaction, which can lead in principle to a voltage-tunable optical oscillation, is examined in the light of presently available thin-film techniques. An estimate of the oscillation threshold is made.