Fiscal Year	2014
Division	Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department	Physics
Investigator(s)	Martell, Daniel P.
Sponsor	Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command (Navy)
Summary	In 1976 a new kind of laser was created using a beam of relativistic electrons and a periodic magnetic field to create the radiation. Over the past several decades, Free Electron Laser (FEL) technology has matured and sources are continually being developed with wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum. A current Navy project is to design and build a compact THz FEL utilizing innovative accelerator technologies including a superconducting spoke cavity as the accelerating structure as well as an axial optical cavity to increase the output energy. The Navy is exploring the use of such technology onboard ships. The application of FEL technology onboard Navy ships presents various challenges such as power integration, complexity and size, as well as atmospheric propagation of the laser. Research will include determining alignment tolerances of various components of the FEL as well as techniques to align the optical cavity to maximize output power. Research will also continue to determine the effects of atmospheric propagation on the FEL.
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Publications	Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data	Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal