Spontaneous, superradiant and stimulated interactions of free electrons with light

Avraham Gover

Tel Aviv University

Friday, September 8, 2017

3:00pm

NW17-218

PSFC Seminars

Abstract: Prof. Gover will review the variety of free electron radiation devices and electron-radiation interaction schemes, and present both classical and quantum theoretical basis for their analysis.  In particular, through the example of Smith-Purcell Radiation, he will present an analysis of stimulated radiative interaction (acceleration/deceleration) of an electron quantum wavepacket, demonstrating the transition from the quantum regime, where the electron wavefunction is modulated discretely by photon emission/absorption (Photo-Induced Near-Field Microscopy – PINEM), to the point-particle classical acceleration limit. He will address the fundamental physics problem of particle-wave duality and the measurability of a free electron quantum wavepacket dimensions in the intermediate regime where the wavepacket size commensurate with the radiation wavelength.

Bio: Professor Avraham Gover is a faculty member (emeritus) in the Physical Electronics Department of the Faculty of Engineering in Tel Aviv University. He received his B. Sc. and M. Sc. Degrees in Physics from Tel-Aviv University in Israel in 1968 and 1971 respectively and the Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics from Caltech 1975. Prof. Gover is one of the pioneers of the field of Free Electron Lasers (FEL), and has been a leading expert in this field for the last forty years. He is a Fellow of APS and the IEEE and was the recipient of the 2005 FEL prize for his contribution to the concept of Super-radiant Emission in the FEL. Prof. Gover has participated in numerous international FEL projects in the U.S. and other countries: NRL (Washington DC), SAIC-SDIO (1978-1984), Stanford University (1983), Brookhaven National Lab (1986), University of Maryland, SLAC and UCLA. Since 1974 he has been conducting theoretical and experimental research in Tel Aviv University. He is the founder and head of the Israel FEL Center for Radiation Sources and Applications in Ariel.