High Power Laser Science and Engineering, Volume. , Issue , ()
High-brightness betatron X-ray source driven by SULF-1 PW laser [Early Posting]
The betatron radiation source, features a micrometer-scale source size, femtosecond-scale pulse duration, milliradian-level divergence angles, and a broad spectrum exceeding tens of keV. It is conducive to the high-contrast imaging of minute structures and for investigating interdisciplinary ultrafast processes. In this study, we present a betatron X-ray source derived from a high-charge, high-energy electron beam through a laser wakefield accelerator driven by the 1 PW/0.1 Hz laser system at the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF). The critical energy of betatron X-ray source is 22±5 keV. The maximum X-ray flux reaches up to 4×109 photons for each shot in the spectral range of 5-30 keV. Correspondingly, the experiment demonstrates a peak brightness of 1.0×1023 photons·s-1·mm-2·mrad-2·0.1%BW-1, comparable to those demonstrated by third-generation synchrotron light sources. Additionally, the imaging capability of the betatron X-ray source is validated. This study lays the foundation for future imaging applications.