title: Efficiency enhancement for Kα x-ray yields from laser-driven relativistic electrons in solids.
abstract: High-irradiance short-pulse lasers incident on solid density thin foils provide high-energy, picosecond-duration, and monochromatic K(α) x-ray sources, but with limited conversion efficiency ϵ of laser energy into K(α) x-ray energy. A novel two-stage target concept is proposed that utilizes ultrahigh-contrast laser interactions with primary ultrathin foils in order to efficiently generate and transport in large quantities only the most effective K(α)-producing high-energy electrons into secondary x-ray converter foils. Benchmarked simulations with no free numerical parameters indicate an ϵ enhancement greater than tenfold over conventional single targets may be possible.
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sefkow
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geissel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schollmeier
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Atherton