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Enhanced x-ray emission from nano-particle doped bacteria.
Optics Express
|July 21, 2015
Summary
This study demonstrates anharmonic resonance-aided high laser absorption in E. coli bacteria. This novel method significantly enhances hard X-ray yield for potential applications in lithography, imaging, and medicine.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Biophysics
- X-ray science
Background:
- Intense light-matter interactions are influenced by target nanostructures.
- Extreme laser intensities create dense plasmas, generating energetic particles and hard X-rays.
- Anharmonic electron motion is a proposed universal mechanism for laser absorption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate anharmonic resonance-aided high laser absorption in a biological system.
- To investigate the role of bacterial micro- and nanostructures in laser absorption.
- To explore novel high-energy X-ray sources.
Main Methods:
- Excitation of E. coli bacteria plasma using 40 fs laser pulses at intensities of ~10^16-18 W/cm².
- Analysis of laser absorption enhancement due to bacterial density-inhomogeneities.
- Measurement of hard X-ray yield.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated anharmonic resonance-aided high laser absorption in E. coli.
- Observed a 10^4-fold enhancement in hard X-ray yield compared to plain solid targets.
- Bacterial micro- and nanostructures significantly increased anharmonic resonance heating.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial micro- and nanostructures enhance laser absorption via anharmonic resonance.
- This leads to a significant increase in hard X-ray generation.
- Novel high-energy X-ray sources with potential applications in lithography, imaging, and medicine have been developed.
