An efficient high power microwave source at 35 GHz using an induction linac free electron accelerator

The Electron Laser Facility (ELF) is a free-electron laser (FEL) amplifier operating in the millimeter-wave regime. ELF uses the electron beam produced by the Experimental Test Accelerator (ETA), which is a linear-induction accelerator. We discuss here (1) the experimental results reflecting the high-peak-power output and high-extraction efficiency obtained from an FEL amplifier operated with a tapered wiggler magnetic field and (2) the results of studies of the exponential gain and saturated power obtained from an FEL amplifier with a flat wiggler while we parametrically varied the input power to the amplifier and the beam current into the wiggler.