Terahertz radiation source using a high-power industrial electron linear accelerator

Abstract

High power (∼ 100 kW) industrial electron linear accelerators (linacs) are used for irradiation applications e.g., for pasteurization of food products, disinfection of medical waste, etc. We propose that high power electron beam from such an industrial linac can be first passed through an undulator to generate powerful terahertz (THz) radiation, and the spent electron beam coming out of the undulator can still be used for industrial applications. This will enhance the utilisation of a high power industrial linac. We have performed calculation of spontaneous emission in the undulator to show that for typical parameters, continuous terahertz radiation having power of the order of µW can be produced, which may be useful for many scientific applications.