Tunable Subpicosecond Electron-Bunch-Train Generation Using a Transverse-To-Longitudinal Phase-Space Exchange Technique

We report on the experimental generation of a train of subpicosecond electron bunches. The bunch train generation is accomplished using a beam line capable of exchanging the coordinates between the horizontal and longitudinal degrees of freedom. An initial beam consisting of a set of horizontally separated beamlets is converted into a train of bunches temporally separated with tunable bunch duration and separation. The experiment reported in this Letter unambiguously demonstrates the conversion process and its versatility.