Bifurcations in a short-pulse free-electron laser oscillator

Abstract

With one-dimensional Maxwell-Lorentz equations, we have investigated the bifurcations in a short-pulse free-electron laser oscillator. A generic Hopf bifurcation and chaotic transition via period-doubling cascade have been described in the parametric space of three branching parameters: the cavity detuning parameter D, the slippage parameter S, and the superradiant parameter K. The present theory of the period of limit-cycle oscillation in the radiation power is well consistent with recent experimental results.