Manipulation of Laser Distribution to Mitigate the Space-Charge Effect for Improving the Performance of a THz Coherent Undulator Radiation Source

A THz coherent undulator radiation (THz-CUR) source has been developed at the Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University. A photocathode Radio-Frequency (RF) gun and a bunch compressor chicane are used for generating short-bunch electron beams. When the electron beam energy is low, the space-charge effect strongly degrades the beam quality, such as the bunch length and the energy spread at the high bunch charge condition at around 160 pC, and results in the reduction of the highest frequency and the maximum radiated power of the THz-CUR. To mitigate the space charge effect, we have investigated the dependence of the electron beam quality on the laser distribution in transverse and longitudinal directions by using a numerical simulation code, General Particle Tracer GPT. The manipulation of the laser distribution has potential for improving the performance of the THz-CUR source. The electron bunch was effectively compressed with the chicane magnet when the laser transverse distribution was the truncated Gaussian profile, illuminating a cathode. Moreover, the compressed electron bunch was shortened by enlarging the laser pulse width. Consequently, an enhancement of the radiated power of the THz-CUR has been indicated.