Electron beams diffraction gratings and radiation

Observations of radiation produced by electrons skimming over a diffraction grating were first reported in 1953 [Phys. Rev. 92 (1953) 1069]. Early work was carried out with electron beams of low energy but recently there has been renewed interest in grating coupled radiation processes in the relativistic region. A brief review of the basic theory of grating coupled radiation and a summary of recent investigation of the properties of the radiation produced by relativistic electron beams moving over a grating are presented.