Production of Powerful Spatially Coherent Radiation in Planar and Coaxial FEM Exploiting Two-Dimensional Distributed Feedback

Two-dimensional distributed feedback is an effective method of producing ultrahigh-power spatially coherent radiation from an active medium, that is spatially extended along two coordinates, including relativistic electron beams with sheet and annular geometry. This paper describes the progress in the investigations of planar and coaxial free-electron masers (FEMs) based on a novel feedback mechanism. The theoretical analysis of these FEM schemes was conducted in the frame of the coupled-wave approach and 3-D simulations and agrees well with the experimental data obtained in ldquocoldrdquo and ldquohotrdquo tests. As a result, the effective transverse (azimuthal) mode selection has been demonstrated under a transverse size of about 20-25 wavelengths, and narrow-frequency multimegawatt microwave pulses have been generated in the Ka- and W-bands.