Title

High-power electrostatic-accelerator FELs for power beaming

Abstract

Electrostatic-accelerator free-electron lasers (EAFELs) are used to generate intense, CW, single-mode, laser radiation for space power beaming applications such as envisioned by the project SELENE. Using present electrostatic accelerator technology (≤ MV), together with the electron gun and electron collector technology developed for the UC Santa Barbara FEL we discuss several laser configurations. The first one entails using a single 25 MV, 2 A, DC electron beam system to produce 100 kW power at 1.54 μm. At the same wavelength and with the same accelerator the power can be increased up to 3.1 MW using a 20 A electron gun. Still, with the same type of accelerator but with higher currents, 0.84 μm can be generated. A third configuration discussed in this paper requires two high voltage accelerators to reach electron energies of up to 50 MV. The major advantage of using EAFELs is that true CW, single-mode operation can be achieved with a minimum expected wall power efficiency of 25%. We also discuss ways to produce 10 MW average power, that would require additional technology developments.

Publication Date

12-1-1994

Publication Title

Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

Volume

2118

Number of Pages

116-124

Document Type

Article; Proceedings Paper

Identifier

scopus

Personal Identifier

scopus

Socpus ID

0028750704 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/0028750704

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