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Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology

X-ray Lasers

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Definition: lasers emitting in the X-ray spectral region

An X-ray laser is a laser device which emits in the spectral region of X-rays, i.e., with wavelengths of only a few nanometers. In this extreme spectral region, traditional laser gain media can not be used. There are different technical approaches:

As it is difficult to construct a low-loss laser resonator for such short wavelengths, X-ray lasers are in most cases (particularly for shorter wavelengths) built without a resonator and actually operate as ASE sources (superluminescent sources). This, however, decreases the spatial and temporal coherence. Much higher spatial and temporal coherence can be achieved with injection seeding, if a suitable narrow-band seed source is available.

Lasers can also be used in other ways for generating X-rays, in particular with high harmonic generation, which is a kind of nonlinear frequency conversion. The optical power achievable in such high harmonics is fairly low, but it possible to amplify certain harmonics in a plasma [5, 8].

Bibliography

[1]M. A. Duguay and P. M. Rentzepis, “Some approaches to vacuum UV and X-ray lasers”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 10 (12), 350 (1967)
[2]G. C. Baldwin et al., “Approaches to the development of gamma-ray lasers”, Rev. Mod. Phys. 53, 687 (1981)
[3]M. H. Key, “Laboratory production of X-ray lasers”, Nature 316, 314 (1985)
[4]H. C. Kapteyn, “Photoionization-pumped x-ray lasers using ultrashort-pulse excitation”, Appl. Opt. 31 (24), 4931 (1992)
[5]T. Ditmire, “Amplification of xuv harmonic radiation in a gallium amplifier”, Phys. Rev. A 51 (6), R4337 (1995)
[6]J. J. Rocca, “Table-top soft x-ray lasers”, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 70, 3799 (1999)
[7]W. Ackermann et al., “Operation of a free-electron laser from the extreme ultraviolet to the water window”, Nat. Photonics 1, 336 (2007)
[8]Y. Wang et al., “Phase-coherent, injection-seeded, table-top soft-X-ray lasers at 18.9 nm and 13.9 nm”, Nat. Photonics 2, 94 (2008)

See also: high harmonic generation, free electron lasers, superluminescent sources

Category: lasers

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