UC Irvine

Advances in high intensity laser systems enable large energies to be delivered to targets simultaneously with kilohertz repetition rates, making laser driven x-ray sources much more accessible. However, the targets needed for full utilization of such sources are still lacking. This work will describe the process of x-ray generation via the high harmonic generation process and how high brightness can be achieved through macroscopic phase-matching. It will show the need for controllable target densities and share measurements of high brightness x-ray beams using carefully designed 3D printed gas cells. It will show how such a source can enable deep investigations into novel polarization and focusing schemes that have been unable to be observed before, such as the wavelength scaling of phase-matching for vector polarization states. Lastly, results from measurements from 400nm high-contrast drivers on laser-solid harmonics will be shown.