Enhancement of FEM radiation by prebunching of the e-beam (stimulated super-radiance)

An electron beam (e-beam) prebunched at the synchronous FEM frequency and traversing through a waveguide, located coaxially with a magnetic undulator, emits coherent radiation at the bunching frequency. Introduction of both a premodulated e-beam and a radio-frequency (r.f.) signal at the same frequency at the input of the waveguide can lead to more efficient interaction, and thus more power can be extracted from the electron beam. In order to achieve this, the density modulation of the electron beam should be at an appropriate phase with respect to the r.f. signal. We report a first experimental demonstration of the influence of the phase difference between the r.f. input signal and the fundamental component of the density modulation of the e-beam on the radiated power in a Free-Electron Maser (FEM). Our experimental system allows control of the current density modulation, of the r.f. input power level, in the undulator region and of the phase between that r.f. input and the modulation of the e-beam. A comparison between measured radiation power with that predicted by theory for various phase differences, current density modulation, and r.f. signal levels, was made. Good correlation was obtained.