Stimulated X-Ray Fluorescence From Excited Crystals

Abstract

Monocrystals of nickel, copper, germanium and germanium doped with copper mounted to a Bragg spectrometer are excited to produce K-hole states irradiated by a collimated beam of ionizing radiation of L-series photons and bremsstrahlung from a tungsten target. Excited monocrystals emit directed K-series fluorescence as Kossel photons. The observation of an unusual abrupt increase in intensity of K-series Kossel photons as the crystal is tuned to have the Bragg resonance angle with respect to the collimated ionizing beam of tungsten radiation is essentially the primary finding in this presentation. An amplification has been observed by using a flash x-ray source to produce a high rate of K-hole state in the lasing crystal and when a directed strong beam of K^α_l photon at Bragg resonance angle is channeled through the lasing crystal. This observation of monochromatic, coherent Kossel and nearly nondivergent K^α_l photons from an excited monocrystal pumped by a collimated beam of radiation leads to the design of a novel portable sealed off x-ray tube for investigation of small angle scattering, x-ray diffraction of polymers, ceramics, composites, biological samples and other materials of technical importance.