Generation of twisted photons by undulators filled with dispersive medium

Abstract

The radiation of twisted photons by undulators filled with a homogeneous dielectric dispersive medium is considered. The general formulas for the average number of radiated twisted photons are obtained. The radiation of undulators in the dipole regime and the radiation of the helical and planar wigglers are studied in detail. It is shown that the selection rules for radiation of twisted photons established for undulators in a vacuum also holds for undulators filled with a dielectric medium. In the case of a medium with plasma permittivity the lower undulator harmonics do not form. This fact can be used for generation of twisted photons with nonzero orbital angular momentum on the lowest admissible harmonic. The use of the effect of inverse radiation polarization for generation of twisted photons with larger orbital angular momentum is described. The influence of the anomalous Doppler effect on the projection of the total angular momentum of radiated twisted photons is investigated. The parameters of the undulator and the charged particles are found such that the produced radiation, in particular, the Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation, is a pure source of twisted photons with definite nonzero orbital angular momentum. The developed theory is used to describe the radiation of twisted photons by beams of electrons and protons in the undulators filled with helium. We also consider the radiation of X-ray twisted photons by electrons in the undulator filled with xenon. The parameters are chosen so as to be achievable at the present experimental facilities.