Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope for hard X-ray imaging of fast ignition experiments

Development of a four-color quasimonochromatic X-ray microscope for laser plasma research

X-ray multicolor imaging diagnosis obtains the spatial distribution of the imploding core during laser inertial confinement fusion. We propose a four-color quasimonochromatic X-ray microscope based on the Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope configuration, covering the medium-to-high-energy X-ray range. Composed of single-layer film mirrors and periodic multilayer film mirrors, the microscope features high spatial resolution and spectral resolution. Furthermore, zoned coating technology achieves common field-of-view (FOV) imaging at four energy points: 4.51, 6.4, 8.4, and 9.67 keV. When assembled and calibrated in the laboratory, the microscope achieved central FOV spatial resolutions of 3.9, 3.7, 4.0, and 4.1 µm at 4.51, 6.4, 8.04, and 9.67 keV, respectively. Finally, a spectral calibration experiment confirmed spectral selectivity at the four energy points.

Monte Carlo study of X-ray grazing incidence microscopy using Geant4

X-ray grazing incidence microscopy has extensive applications in the fields of laser inertial confinement fusion and synchrotron radiation. Monte Carlo methods can be used to determine the optical performance of X-ray grazing incidence microscopes and predict the experimental results, which is of great significance for studying physical experiments and diagnostics. In this paper, we proposed a Monte Carlo method based on Geant4 for studying X-ray grazing incidence microscopy. We introduced the G4MultilayerReflection class to describe the physical processes of X-ray multilayer mirrors. We designed a dual-energy Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope that can operate at 6.4 and 9.67 keV simultaneously. Monte Carlo simulations of the spatial resolution and throughput efficiency of the microscope were performed using Geant4, which was assembled and characterized. The spatial resolution results obtained by the Geant4 laboratory simulations, the theoretical model, and the experiments were in good agreement. Additionally, we conducted throughput efficiency calibration experiments for the 6.4 keV imaging channel. The difference between the experimental and Geant4-simulated throughput efficiency was evaluated and resulted in root mean square error values of 8.7% and 9.5% along the Y- and Z-axes, respectively.

High-resolution elliptical Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope for implosion higher-mode instability diagnosis

High-resolution X-ray imaging diagnosis is a critical method for measuring Rayleigh-Taylor instability growth and hot spot interface morphology in inertial confinement fusion experiments. In this study, we develop a quasi-monochromatic elliptical Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope based on aberration theory, breaking the aberration limit of conventional Kirkpatrick-Baez microscopes. The microscope was characterized in the laboratory for spatial resolution performance and modulation transfer function before being implemented in cavity experiments at the SG-III prototype laser facility. The results demonstrate that the edge-based method achieves a spatial resolution of <2 µm in the central field of view and modulation of 800 lp/mm spatial frequency of >20%.

Design and Analysis of Hard X-Ray Microscope Employing Toroidal Mirrors Working at Grazing-Incidence

A high resolution microscope is designed for plasma hard X-ray (10–20[Formula: see text]keV) imaging diagnosis. This system consists of two toroidal mirrors, which are nearly parallel, with an angle twice that of the grazing incidence angle and a plane mirror for spectral selection and correction of optical axis offset. The imaging characteristics of single toroidal mirror and double mirrors are analyzed in detail by the optical path function. The optical design, parameter optimization, image quality simulation and analysis of the microscope are carried out. The optimized hard X-ray microscope has a resolution better than 5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m at 1[Formula: see text]mm object field of view. The experimental data shows that the variation of the resolution is smaller in the direction of incident angle decrease than that in the increasing direction.

Development of an adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez microscope for laser driven x-ray sources

A prototype of a highly adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscope has been designed, built, and tested in a number of laser driven x-ray experiments using the high power (200 TW) VEGA-2 laser system of the Spanish Centre for Pulsed Lasers (CLPU). The presented KB version consists of two, perpendicularly mounted, 500 μm thick silicon wafers, coated with a layer of platinum, a few tens of nanometers thick. Unlike the usual millimeter thick glass substrate, this design allows for a larger bending flexibility and large adjustment range. According to simulations, this KB microscope offers broadband multikiloelectron volt reflection spectra (1 eV-20 keV), allowing more spectral tunability than conventional Bragg crystals. In addition to be vacuum compatible, this prototype is characterized by a relatively small size (21 cm × 31 cm × 27 cm) and permits remote control and modification both of the radii of curvature (down to 10 m) and of the grazing incidence angle (up to 60 mrad). A few examples of focusing performance tests and experimental results are discussed.

Enhanced relativistic-electron-beam energy loss in warm dense aluminum

Energy loss in the transport of a beam of relativistic electrons in warm dense aluminum is measured in the regime of ultrahigh electron beam current density over 2×10^{11}  A/cm^{2} (time averaged). The samples are heated by shock compression. Comparing to undriven cold solid targets, the roles of the different initial resistivity and of the transient resistivity (upon target heating during electron transport) are directly observable in the experimental data, and are reproduced by a comprehensive set of simulations describing the hydrodynamics of the shock compression and electron beam generation and transport. We measured a 19% increase in electron resistive energy loss in warm dense compared to cold solid samples of identical areal mass.

Laser wakefield generated X-ray probe for femtosecond time-resolved measurements of ionization states of warm dense aluminum

We have developed a laser wakefield generated X-ray probe to directly measure the temporal evolution of the ionization states in warm dense aluminum by means of absorption spectroscopy. As a promising alternative to the free electron excited X-ray sources, Betatron X-ray radiation, with femtosecond pulse duration, provides a new technique to diagnose femtosecond to picosecond transitions in the atomic structure. The X-ray probe system consists of an adjustable Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) microscope for focusing the Betatron emission to a small probe spot on the sample being measured, and a flat Potassium Acid Phthalate Bragg crystal spectrometer to measure the transmitted X-ray spectrum in the region of the aluminum K-edge absorption lines. An X-ray focal spot size of around 50 μm was achieved after reflection from the platinum-coated 10-cm-long KB microscope mirrors. Shot to shot positioning stability of the Betatron radiation was measured resulting in an rms shot to shot variation in spatial pointing on the sample of 16 μm. The entire probe setup had a spectral resolution of ~1.5 eV, a detection bandwidth of ~24 eV, and an overall photon throughput efficiency of the order of 10(-5). Approximately 10 photons were detected by the X-ray CCD per laser shot within the spectrally resolved detection band. Thus, it is expected that hundreds of shots will be required per absorption spectrum to clearly observe the K-shell absorption features expected from the ionization states of the warm dense aluminum.