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arXiv · 2504.17560

A compact laser-plasma source for high-repetition-rate bi-modal X-ray and electron imaging

Angana Mondal·Ratul Sabui·Sonali Khanna·S V Rahul·Sheroy Tata·M Anand·Ram Gopal·M Krishnamurthy
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Abstract

Bright sources of high-energy X-rays and electrons are indispensable tools in advanced imaging. Yet, current laser-driven systems typically support only single-modality imaging, require complex infrastructure, or operate at low repetition rates. Here, we demonstrate a compact, table-top laser-plasma source capable of generating synchronized electron and X-ray pulses at 1 kHz using just 2 mJ per pulse. A structured methanol droplet target enables quasi-single-shot electron radiographs and broadband, energy-resolved X-ray images, facilitating bi-modal imaging of both metallic and biological specimens. We achieve resolutions of 13.6 um for electrons and 21 um for X-rays, and demonstrate tomographic reconstruction using 35 projections. This compact platform rivals large-scale petawatt systems in resolution and brightness, while remaining scalable and accessible for high-throughput imaging in materials science and biomedicine.

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Angana Mondal, Ratul Sabui, Sonali Khanna, S V Rahul, Sheroy Tata, M Anand, Ram Gopal, M Krishnamurthy. 2025-04-24. A compact laser-plasma source for high-repetition-rate bi-modal X-ray and electron imaging. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.17560

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