Smith-Purcell Effect (Diffraction Radiation) and its Applications

Smith-Purcell effect (diffraction radiation) is a phenomenon of electron kinetik energy converting into a plane waves spectrum which appears when a single electron or an electron beam is moving along any periodic structure. The theory of the effect has opened a new field in electronics and electromagnetic theory due to the performances of the phenomenon that have many current and potential applications of importance. In this paper an attempt is made to submit a review of approaches used for the theory development, its scopes and main scientific and practical results. special attention has been given to the basic principles of the modern nonlinear theory and to the applications of the results for some new class of resonant oscillator development which are taken as exceedingly perspective for millimetre and submillimetre wave bands.