Free electron lasers
- Submission status
- Open
- Submission deadline
Free electron lasers (FELs) are paramount in a number of fields including atomic and molecular physics, material science as well as biology and medicine. The working principle of FEL is different from other lasers, since it relies on coherent light emitted by high energy electrons:, when passing through a spatially varying magnetic field high-energy electrons oscillate perpendicularly to the direction of their propagation; such oscillations – at a frequency that depends on the magnets’ separation as well as the electrons’ energy - not only induce the original electrons to radiate but also stimulate other electrons to oscillate and consequently to emit radiation at the same frequency (with also the same phase of the original electrons). FELs have been the focus of scientific research because they have attractive characteristics including being able to work in a very wide range of wavelengths (from terahertz to X-rays), being tunable, having higher spectral brightness and coherence with respect to other synchrotron light sources. Despite these characteristics, they have the disadvantages of being very large and expensive systems.
This Collection brings together original research in the topic of free electron lasers, showcasing the latest technologies developments and reporting how such systems are used in timely applications.
Editors
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Arno Ehresmann, PhD
University of Kassel, Germany
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Atsushi Nakagawa, PhD
Osaka University, Japan
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Hisato Yamaguchi, PhD
Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA
