The Segmented Beamformer for Electromagnetic Waves of the Terahertz Free Electron Laser

TL;DR

This paper presents a segmented beamformer designed for high-power terahertz beams from a free electron laser, demonstrating its effectiveness in shaping and concentrating THz radiation for applications like cosmic dust simulation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel segmented mirror beamformer for THz FELs, combining theoretical modeling and laboratory validation for high-power beam shaping.

Findings

Confirmed speckle structure of the target spot through experiments

Demonstrated beam shape control in the 1-3 THz spectral region

Validated the beamformer technology for high-power THz applications

Abstract

The quasi-optical segmented mirror for a formation of the target irradiation field was manufactured and investigated. It was designed for the high power THz beam of the free electron laser (FEL) using as a target a dust particle cloud, simulating cosmic dust. Numerical calculation of the beam shape and its low power laboratory measurements was made in the spectral region 1 - 3 THz of the first phase of the Novosibirsk FEL construction. The theoretical calculations of the diffraction effects reveal a speckle structure of a target spot, which was confirmed by the laboratory experiment. The beamformer technology was adapted for manufacturing and such device could be widely used for a concentration of powerful terahertz radiation.