MeV-energy x rays from inverse compton scattering with laser-wakefield accelerated electrons

Area of Science:

• High-intensity laser-driven particle acceleration
• X-ray generation and applications

Background:

• Advanced laser systems enable novel approaches to particle acceleration and radiation production.
• Generating high-energy x-rays is crucial for probing fundamental physics and nuclear processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the generation of MeV x-rays driven by a single 100-terawatt laser system.
• To optimize electron beam and x-ray output for high brightness and energy.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a 100-terawatt laser system to drive both an accelerator and an undulator.
• Independently optimizing laser pulses for electron beam generation (>200 MeV) and x-ray output.
• Characterizing the x-ray source properties including photon number, source size, and divergence.

Main Results:

• Generation of MeV x-rays with photon energies peaking at 1 MeV and reaching up to 4 MeV.
• Achieved a high x-ray photon number of ~1x10^7 with a small source size of 5 μm.
• Measured a beam divergence angle of ~10 mrad.

Conclusions:

• The generated MeV x-rays possess energies exceeding thresholds for key nuclear reactions like pair production.
• This laser-driven source provides a novel tool for investigating fundamental nuclear physics.
• The optimized system demonstrates efficient generation of bright, high-energy x-ray beams.