Superradiant and Stimulated Superradiant Emission in a Prebunched Beam Free-Electron Maser

Abstract

An electron beam, prebunched at the synchronous free-electron laser frequency and passing through a magnetic undulator, emits coherent (superradiant) synchrotron undulator radiation at the bunching frequency. If an external electromagnetic wave is introduced into the interaction region, at the same frequency and at a proper phase, the radiation process will be stimulated (stimulated prebunched beam radiation). We report first experimental measurements of stimulated superradiant emission in a prebunched free-electron maser. Measurements are in good agreement with theory.