Evaluation of ultrafast laser-based hard x-ray sources for phase-contrast imaging

Abstract

The 2D projection phase-contrast imaging performance of the ultrafast laser-based x-ray (ULX) source has been investigated. The potential of such a novel x-ray source has been assessed by imaging a reference object (Contrast Detail Evaluation phantom) in the in-line holography geometry and by applying a simple 1D numerical model to the data analysis. The results indicate that the ULX is a promising technique for 2D projection phase-contrast imaging and for implementation of phase-contrast micro-Computed Tomography (μ-CT). This is because by using high contrast laser pulse ULX simultaneously provides a very small x-ray source size along with a high average x-ray flux. In addition, due to the ultrashort x-ray burst duration, ULX might allow practical implementation of ultrafast phase-contrast stroboscopy and time-of-flight based electronic scatter rejection. This technique is also of interest for time resolved radiography to follow shock waves and radiative fronts propagating in an opaque matter.

High repetition rate laser produced soft x-ray source for ultrafast x-ray absorption near edge structure measurements

“…The high contrast laser characteristics permit the x-ray source size to be kept close to 10 m in diameter which allow avoiding the use of an entrance slit for the spectrometer. 23 This spectrometer energy resolution performance has already been investigated during previous experiments with the INRS 10 TW laser system. It was calibrated with well known carbon characteristic line emissions.…”

Ionography of Submicron Foils and Nanostructures Using Ion Flow Generated in FS‐Laser Cluster Plasma

“…However, now the synchrotron sources for radiography purposes can be substituted successfully with compact ones based on femtosecond laser systems [1][2][3][4][5]. Similarly, as it was shown recently in [6][7][8][9], the source of fast protons is created in laser plasma that is applicable to obtaining proton radiography images of plasma or microstructures.…”

Laser Pulse Contrast Ratio Cleaning in 100 TW Scale Ti: Sapphire Laser Systems

“…Several techniques have been proposed in order to enhance the LPCR in ultrafast CPA laser system: saturable absorbers (Hong et al, 2005;Itatani et al, 1998), double CPA laser system (Kalashnikov et al, 2005), non linear birefringence (Jullien et al, 2004), cross polarized wave generation (XPW) (Petrov et al, 2007), plasma mirror or second harmonic generation (Toth et al, 2007). Details of these techniques can be found in the cited references.…”