Millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation from a unique compact oscillator

We propose a new technique to produce millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation. By mingling two electron beams of slightly different energies, the well-known two-stream instability will develop. This instability can be controlled by properly modulating the beams near their inception, allowing such a device to act as an oscillator at a selectable radiation frequency in the millimeter and sub-millimeter ranges. Preliminary simulations of this device indicate amplification of 100-GHz radiation, with convenient scaling up to 1 THz. Additionally, an experiment merely requires two low-voltage, low-current electron beams and straightforward beam and millimeter-wave optics; The total beamline length can easily fit under a meter. Initial predictions of this simple and compact device can generate up to 100 W of 1-THz radiation.