Development of an adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope for laser driven x-ray sources.

Area of Science:

• Optics
• X-ray instrumentation
• Laser-driven experiments

Background:

• Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscopes are essential for focusing X-rays in various scientific applications.
• Conventional KB microscopes often use thick glass substrates, limiting flexibility and adjustment range.
• High-power laser systems necessitate advanced X-ray optics for precise experimental control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, build, and test a highly adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscope prototype.
• To enhance spectral tunability and flexibility compared to traditional X-ray focusing optics.
• To evaluate the performance of the new KB microscope in laser-driven X-ray experiments.

Main Methods:

• The KB microscope prototype utilizes two perpendicularly mounted, thin silicon wafers (500 μm) coated with platinum.
• The design allows for significant bending flexibility and a large adjustment range for the radii of curvature (down to 10 m) and grazing incidence angle (up to 60 mrad).
• The prototype was tested using the VEGA-2 laser system (200 TW) at the Spanish Centre for Pulsed Lasers (CLPU).

Main Results:

• The KB microscope demonstrates broadband reflection spectra from 1 eV to 20 keV, offering greater spectral tunability than Bragg crystals.
• The flexible silicon wafer design allows for a larger adjustment range and improved bending flexibility.
• The prototype is vacuum compatible, compact (21 cm × 31 cm × 27 cm), and features remote control capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope represents a significant advancement in X-ray optics for laser-driven experiments.
• The flexible silicon wafer design offers superior tunability and adjustability for broadband X-ray focusing.
• This prototype provides a versatile and compact solution for high-power laser-based X-ray research.