Free-electron crystals for enhanced X-ray radiation.
Light Sci Appl
; 13(1): 29, 2024 Jan 24.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38267427
ABSTRACT
Bremsstrahlung-the spontaneous emission of broadband radiation from free electrons that are deflected by atomic nuclei-contributes to the majority of X-rays emitted from X-ray tubes and used in applications ranging from medical imaging to semiconductor chip inspection. Here, we show that the bremsstrahlung intensity can be enhanced significantly-by more than three orders of magnitude-through shaping the electron wavefunction to periodically overlap with atoms in crystalline materials. Furthermore, we show how to shape the bremsstrahlung X-ray emission pattern into arbitrary angular emission profiles for purposes such as unidirectionality and multi-directionality. Importantly, we find that these enhancements and shaped emission profiles cannot be attributed solely to the spatial overlap between the electron probability distribution and the atomic centers, as predicted by the paraxial and non-recoil theory for free electron light emission. Our work highlights an unprecedented regime of free electron light emission where electron waveshaping provides multi-dimensional control over practical radiation processes like bremsstrahlung. Our results pave the way towards greater versatility in table-top X-ray sources and improved fundamental understanding of quantum electron-light interactions.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Light Sci Appl
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Singapur