An electron wave packet in the relativistic strophotron FEL
Abstract The theory of free electron lasers (FELs) is well developed both in quantum mechanical and classical approaches. In strophotron FEL, in classical approach, resonance frequency and the gain are strongly dependent on initial parameters of electron beam. In the quantum mechanical approach considered by Zaretsky and Nersesov (1983 JETP 57 518), there is no such dependence. The correspondence between the quantum mechanical and classical approaches in a relativistic strophotron FEL is discussed. We study the initial distribution of electrons over vibrational levels determined by the expansion coefficients in relativistic strophotron FEL. It is shown, (presenting electron wave function in the form of Gaussian wave packet), that the number of the vibrational level most efficiently populated at the initial moment of time can be expressed in terms of the initial parameters of the electron beam.
