Electromagnetic fields and electron dynamics in Traveling-wave Thomson scattering

The Traveling-wave Thomson scattering (TWTS) scheme is a novel high-yield Thomson scattering geometry using ultrashort laser pulses with tilted pulse fronts. Combined with relativistic electron bunches this can be utilized as an optical undulator or as an optically driven free electron laser for generation of high-brightness, narrow bandwidth X-Ray pulses. In order to examine the wave-optical propagation of these TWTS pulses we developed an analytical formalism to calculate the electrical field of a spatio-temporal distorted laser pulse which has been diffracted at a grating of arbitrary periodicity function. This allows for numerical analysis of a TWTS laser pulse in terms of its envelope and dispersion properties. We use this to investigate the applicability of the scheme as an optical undulator and free electron laser.