Generation of high-power and highly collimated X-rays through cross-collision between relativistic electron and tightly focused intense laser pulse

Abstract

Nonlinear cross Thomson scattering (NCTS) is the process that an electron cross-collides with a laser pulse, which has potential as a high-quality X-ray source. This paper reports a method to generate sideways X-ray with high power and good collimation through NCTS based on classical electrodynamics, through numerical simulation. When NCTS happens between a relativistic electron and a tightly focused circular polarized intense laser pulse, the initial distance of the electron with the interaction area has a significant effect of electron motion and radiation. The spatial radiation shows a shape of lying ‘U’, whose peak power increases first and then decreases as initial distance increasing. The peak power is more concentrate and is 31.4% higher than that of nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering. Changing the initial distance of electron can modulate the direction of NCTS radiation from 60° to 90° to the electron incident direction. The cut-off wavelength of its super continuity spectrum reaches 6.67Å. These results are helpful for understanding nonlinear Thomson scattering and designing practical high-quality X-ray sources.