Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains

Yifan Liang; Tong Li; Jitao Sun; Zhuoyuan Liu; Jiayue Yang; Xiaofan Wang; Yong Yu; Qili Tian; Zhigang He; Hongfei Wang; Li Zeng; Huaiqian Yi; Hao Sun; Yingjie Dai; Xiujie Deng; Guorong Wu; Weiqing Zhang; Xueming Yang; Chuanxiang Tang; Lixin Yan

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-02156-7

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Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains

Original Articles

- Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains
- Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains
- Light: Science & Applications 2026年15卷第2期页码：658-664
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Institute of Advanced Light Source Facilities, Shenzhen 518107, China
  2.Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  3.Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, Dalian 116023, China
- Author bio：
  
  Guorong Wu (wugr@dicp.ac.cn)
  Weiqing Zhang (weiqingzhang@dicp.ac.cn)
  Chuanxiang Tang (tang.xuh@tsinghua.edu.cn)
  Lixin Yan (yanlx@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-02156-7
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-04-24，
  
  修回：2025-11-24，
  
  录用：2025-12-02，
  
  网络首发：2026-01-08，
  
  纸质出版：2026-02-28
- Accepted：
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Yifan Liang, Tong Li, Jitao Sun, 等. Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(2):658-664.

Liang, Y. F. et al. Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 658-664 (2026).
Yifan Liang, Tong Li, Jitao Sun, 等. Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(2):658-664. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02156-7.

Liang, Y. F. et al. Superradiant terahertz free-electron laser driven by electron microbunch trains. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 658-664 (2026). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02156-7.

摘要

Abstract

Superradiance

an enhanced radiation phenomenon stemming from the phase synchronization of emitters

features a radiation intensity proportional to the number of emitters squared. The pursuit of superradiance from free electrons has long been a goal for generating intense radiation across a broad spectrum

from terahertz (THz) to the X-ray regime. However

achieving superradiance in the THz spectral range has been hindered by the lack of effective microbunching techniques. Here

we demonstrate an ultra-widely tunable superradiant THz free-electron laser (FEL) driven by high-peak-current electron microbunch trains. The emission efficiency is substantially improved as the ultra-short electron microbunches emit in phase and engage in strong interactions with the generated THz waves within the undulator. We further demonstrate that the implementation of a tapered undulator configuration leads to a two-fold enhancement in emission intensity compared to the non-tapered case

elevating the pulse energy of the narrow-band THz radiation to the millijoule level in a one-meter-long undulator. This experimental breakthrough represents a critical step toward realizing a compact

high-power

narrow-band THz source capable of fully bridging the 'THz gap' and will unlock numerous opportunities across a wide range of scientific disciplines.

关键词

Keywords

references

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