Electrons diffraction scattering on a traveling wave - "Inelastic Kapitza-Dirac effect"

Abstract

In this paper conceptual points regarding electrons elastic (Kapitza-Dirac effect) and inelastic diffraction effect on the different type slowed electromagnetic wave structures/light gratings are considered. From the unified point of view it is analyzed the main works on this subject for last four decades in chronological order, pointing out the essential peculiarity inherent in induced Cherenkov, Compton, and undulator/wiggler processes too. This review article has also a goal to resolve confusion in scientific literature connected with the recently appeared paper [6] relating the electrons diffraction on a traveling wave in a dielectric medium.