Amplification mechanism of ion-ripple lasers and its possible applications

The ion-ripple laser (IRL) is an advanced scheme for generating coherent high-power radiation, in which a relativistic electron beam propagates obliquely through an ion ripple in a plasma. Its amplification mechanism is described by a low gain theory, while the linear growth rate is given by the dispersion relation. The efficiency of the lasing is determined by the nonlinear saturation mechanism discussed. By proper choice of device parameters, sources of microwaves, optical, and perhaps even X-rays can be made. The availability of tunable sources for wide wavelength regimes, coherence and high-power, as well as lower cost and simplicity of equipment, are emphasized