Free-electron crystals for enhanced X-ray radiation

Lee Wei Wesley Wong, Xihang Shi, Aviv Karnieli, Jeremy Lim, Suraj Kumar, Sergio Carbajo, Ido Kaminer, Liang Jie Wong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number29
JournalLight: Science and Applications
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Free-electron crystals for enhanced X-ray radiation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this