Tunable terahertz radiation from graphene induced by moving electrons

Based on a structure consisting of a single graphene layer situated on periodic dielectric gratings, we show theoretically that terahertz radiation can be generated by low-energy electron bunches moving atop the graphene layer. The THz emission arises from graphene plasmons excited efficiently by the moving electrons. We find that the radiation intensity can be strongly enhanced due to the local field enhancement of graphene plasmons arising from their low losses and high confinement. Importantly, the radiation frequency can be tuned over a wide spectral range by varying the Fermi level of the graphene layer. Our results could find applications in developing tunable and miniature free-electron terahertz radiation sources.