Abstract
Coherent radiation in the 0.3–3 THz range has been generated from femtosecond electron bunches at a plasma-vacuum boundary via transition radiation. The bunches produced by a laser-plasma accelerator contained 1.5 nC of charge. The THz energy per pulse within a limited 30 mrad collection angle was 3–5 nJ and scaled quadratically with bunch charge, consistent with coherent emission. Modeling indicates that this broadband source produces about per pulse within a 100 mrad angle, and that increasing the transverse plasma size and electron beam energy could provide more than .
- Received 14 April 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.074802
©2003 American Physical Society