Simulation of a Smith-Purcell free-electron laser with sidewalls: Copious emission at the fundamental frequency

The two-dimensional theory of the Smith-Purcell free-electron laser of Andrews and Brau [H. L. Andrews and C. A. Brau, Phys. Rev. ST Accel. Beams 7, 070701 (2004)] predicts that coherent Smith-Purcell radiation can occur only at harmonics of the frequency of the evanescent wave that is resonant with the beam. A particle-in-cell simulation shows that in a three-dimensional context, where the lamellar grating has sidewalls, coherent Smith-Purcell radiation can be copiously emitted at the fundamental frequency, for a well-defined range of beam energy. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3641471]