Three-dimensional analysis of wakefields generated by flat electron beams in planar dielectric-loaded structures

Abstract

An electron bunch passing through a dielectric-lined waveguide generates Čerenkov radiation that can result in a high-peak axial electric field suitable for acceleration of a subsequent bunch. Axial fields beyond gigavolt-per-meter are attainable in structures with sub-mm sizes depending on the achievement of suitable electron bunch parameters. A promising configuration consists of using a planar dielectric structure driven by flat electron bunches. In this paper we present a three-dimensional analysis of wakefields produced by flat beams in planar dielectric structures thereby extending the work of Tremaine, Rosenzweig, and Schoessow, Phys. Rev. E 56, 7204 (1997)] on the topic. We especially provide closed-form expressions for the normal frequencies and field amplitudes of the excited modes and benchmark these analytical results with finite-difference time-domain particle-in-cell numerical simulations. Finally, we implement a semianalytical algorithm into a popular particle-tracking program thereby enabling start-to-end high-fidelity modeling of linear accelerators based on dielectric-lined planar waveguides.