Bright spatially coherent synchrotron X-rays from a table-top source

• DOI: 10.1038/nphys1789
• Publication Date: 2010-10-24T17:28:35Z
• Authors: S. Kneip; C. McGuffey; J. L. Martins; S. F. Martins; C. Bellei; V. Chvykov; F. Dollar; R. Fonseca; C. Huntington; G. Kalintchenko; A. Maksimchuk; S. P. D. Mangles; T. Matsuoka; S. R. Nagel; C. A. J. Palmer; J. Schreiber; K. Ta Phuoc; A. G. R. Thomas; V. Yanovsky; L. O. Silva; K. Krushelnick; Z. Najmudin
• Keywords: [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-OPTICS]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Optics [physics.optics]; 0103 physical sciences; 530; 01 natural sciences

Betratron oscillations of electrons driven through a plasma by a high-intensity laser generate coherent X-rays. A new study demonstrates the intensity of these X-rays can be as bright as that generated by conventional third-generation synchrotrons, in a device a fraction of the size and cost.