Progress and Prospects of a Compton X-ray Source Driven by a High-Power CO2 Laser

Abstract

X-ray sources based on inverse Compton scattering provide high peak-brightness combined with their well-controlled beam properties. We review recent progress in three research areas: Demonstrating the source’s spatial coherence, so leading to single-shot, ultra-fast, phase-contrast tomography; high-average-brightness intra-cavity Compton source; and, exploring the relativistic regimes of electron oscillation within the laser field that produces multiple Compton harmonics. Next-generation Compton sources most likely will utilize all-optical schemes in which lasers serving as a virtual wiggler simultaneously will drive an electron beam from a plasma-wakefield accelerator. We address the possibility of reaching full coherency of all-optical Compton sources, analogous to free-electron lasers.