LASER-EXCITED X-RAY SOURCE

摘要

The invention provides a laser-excited X-ray source in which the efficiency of conversion of laser energy into X-ray energy, and the average X-ray output power, are increased by providing laser light, which is focussed on a target to generate X-rays, in the form of trains of very short pulses with a pulse duration in the range 1-10 picoseconds. Preferably it is arranged that successive pulses in a train are focussed at adjacent but different points on the target.