title: Efficient Kalpha x-ray source from submillijoule femtosecond laser pulses operated at kilohertz repetition rate.
abstract: We report an efficient Cu K(alpha) x-ray source produced by focusing submillijoule, 120 fs Ti:sapphire laser pulses on a solid copper target to a spot diameter of few microns. The experimental results show strong emission of K(alpha) x-rays from solid targets from microplasmas created by p-polarized 0.2-0.3 mJ laser pulses at 1 kHz repetition rate. We have demonstrated K(alpha) x-ray point source emission rates of 6.7 x 10(9) photonss into 2 pi sr at 1 kHz repetition rate. The source has an x-ray conversion efficiency into Cu K(alpha) line emission of 3.2 x 10(-5). The source has a measured size of approximately 8 microm. Such a high repetition rate K(alpha) x-ray source can be very useful for time resolved x-ray diffraction and radiographic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2V4, Canada. cristina@ece.ualberta.ca
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Serbanescu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chakera
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fedosejevs
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D010315:Particle Accelerators / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014965:X-Rays