Compact tunable x-ray source based on laser-plasma driven betatron emission
Systems and methods for generating tunable x-ray emissions including a tunable x-ray source that includes a driver, such as a laser, configured to generate one or more driver pulses, such as one or more laser pulses, and a target source configured to emit a target material. The target source is arranged so that the emitted target material intersects a propagation axis of the driver pulse(s) and the target source may be configured so that the emitted target material has a tailored density profile along the propagation axis of the driver pulse(s), the tailored density profile along the propagation axis having a first density peak region followed by a lower density region followed by a second density peak region, e.g., in an “M” shape.
1. A tunable ultrafast x-ray source, comprising:
a driver configured to generate a driver pulse;
a target source configured to emit a target material having a tailored density profile along a propagation axis of the driver pulse, the tailored density profile along the propagation axis having a first density peak region followed by a lower density region followed by a second density peak region,
wherein interaction of the driver pulse with the target material along the propagation axis results in betatron emissions in an x-ray wavelength range.
2. The tunable x-ray source of claim 1 , wherein the driver comprises a laser source.
3. The tunable x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein the laser source is configured to generate laser pulses having a controllable pulse duration of about 1 fs to about 50 fs.
4. The tunable x-ray source of claim 3 , wherein each pulse has a power of from about 0.1 MW to about 1 MW and a pulse duration of about 1 fs to about 100 fs.
5. The tunable x-ray source of claim 1 , wherein the target material comprises a plasma.
6. A method of generating tunable x-ray emissions, the method comprising:
generating a driver pulse that propagates along a propagation axis;
generating a target, the ionized target having a tailored density profile along the propagation axis, the tailored density profile along the propagation axis having a first density peak followed by a lower density region followed by a second density peak, wherein interaction of the driver pulse with the target results in betatron emissions in an x-ray wavelength range.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the driver pulse includes a laser pulse having a pulse duration of about 1 fs to about 50 fs.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the driver pulse has a power of from about 1 TW to about 1 PW or more or from about 100 A to about 10 kA or more.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the target material comprises a plasma.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the betatron emissions has an energy of from about 0.5 keV to about 100 keV.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the generating a driver pulse includes generating a plurality of driver pulses, wherein each of the plurality of driver pulses has a power of from about 0.1 MW to about 1 MW and a pulse duration of from about 1 fs to about 100 fs.
12. A method of generating tunable x-ray emissions, the method comprising:
generating a laser pulse that propagates along a propagation axis;
generating a target, the ionized target comprising a plasma having a tailored density profile along the propagation axis, the tailored density profile along the propagation axis having a first density peak followed by a lower density region followed by a second density peak, wherein interaction of the driver pulse with the target results in betatron emissions in an x-ray wavelength range.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the laser pulse has a pulse duration of about 1 fs to about 100 fs.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the betatron emissions has an energy of from about 0.5 keV to about 100 keV.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the laser pulse has a power of from about 0.1 MW to about 1 MW.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the generating a laser pulse includes generating a plurality of laser pulses, wherein each of the plurality of laser pulses has a power of from about 0.1 MW to about 1 MW and a pulse duration of from about 1 fs to about 100 fs.