Practicable X-Ray Amplifier

Abstract

Inverted populations of practical interest in the x-ray region are obtainable from selective inner-shell vacancy production in intermediate-energy ion-atom collisions. A high-current ion beam swept at nearly the speed of light along the length of an extended foil provides an active region in synchronization with a resonant x-ray pulse traveling parallel to the foil surface. Significant amplification may be realized with presently available ion sources.