NSF Award
9060218
Superlattice channeling radiation is being investigated as an intense, quasi-monochromatic X-ray source. A strained layer superlattice possesses bent planes which alternate direction with each layer of the superlattice crystal. A high energy charged particle which is channeled along a bent plane will follow the bends in the crystal and this oscillation will cause it to emit radiation. High energy (10-100 McV) electrons channeled along the bent planes of a strained layer superlattice emit X-ray radiation in a single peak of .10% full width half maximum (FWHM). This radiation is collimated into a narrow beam, more intense than standard channeling radiation and far more intense than the background radiation produced. The characteristics of superlattice channeling radiation make it a promising X-ray source for non-invasive digital subtraction angiography, which requires intense, tunable radiation peaks.
