Abstract

Usually free electron laser (FEL) devices suffer from high cost and complexity when compared with conventional lasers. This fact has stimulated the development of a new generation of FELs known as compact FELs. The spectral regions where the present technology makes possible the realization of these devices are the far-infrared (FIR) and the millimeter wave. Both these spectral regions are suitable for an FEL operation with a waveguide. As known,¹ the presence of a guiding structure, changes the resonance condition, introducing new peculiar features e.g., tire possibility of reaching the so-called zero slippage condition in which a broad band gain curve is observed and an efficiency higher than the free space case.

© 1993 Optical Society of America