Light generation through electron-plasmon interactions: the prospects of graphene metamaterials

Abstract:
 
Due to their applications in medicine, engineering and natural sciences, X-rays have always been of great interest in the scientific community, yet the production of high quality X-rays currently requires large scale facilities like synchrotrons. Overcoming the need of such large scale facilities is thus an important and ambitious goal, which we propose to address by exploiting the interaction of free electrons with graphene plasmons (GPs). Due to their strong confinement, large wavevector and low losses, GPs are ideal candidates to realize nano and micro scale undulators to wiggle relatively low energy free electrons and produce highly monochromatic and directional X-ray radiation. In this context, we find graphene metamaterials to be particularly effective in supporting new kinds of GPs, allowing the intensity scalability of the device and displaying a rich spectrum of resonant plasmonic modes that enhances the tunability and capability of the light source.