Multi-kilohertz, ultrafast hard X-ray K-alpha source

Witte H, Silies M, Haarlammert T, Huve J, Kutzner J, Zacharias H

Abstract

We report on the performance of a femtosecond laser-based hard X-ray K-alpha source operating up to 10 kHz repetition rate. Using chromium- or iron-containing tapes, spectrally narrow band K-alpha 1 and K-alpha 2 radiation at about 5.4 and 6.4 keV is generated. Employing up to 1 mJ pulse energy in the fundamental more than 10(9) K-alpha photons s(-1) are generated in 4 pi steradian.