Ultrafast x-ray streak camera for use in ultrashort laser-produced plasma research

Abstract

In recent years there has been growing interest in energetic (≳100 eV), temporally short (<10 ps) x rays produced by ultrashort laser-produced plasmas. The detection and temporal dispersion of the x rays using x-ray streak cameras has been limited to a resolution of 2 ps, primarily due to the transit time dispersion of the electrons between the photocathode and the acceleration grid. The transit time spread of the electrons traveling from the photocathode to the acceleration grid is inversely proportional to the accelerating field. By increasing the field by a factor of 7, we have minimized the effects of transit time dispersion in the photocathode/accelerating grid region and produce an x-ray streak camera with subpicosecond temporal resolution (≊900 fs). The streak camera has been calibrated using a Michelson interferometer and 100 fs, 400 nm laser light. The characteristics of the streak camera, along with the most recent x-ray streak data will be presented.