An efficient Ni Kα X-ray source driven by a high energy fiber CPA system

In this paper we report the first demonstration of efficient hard X-ray generation using a femtosecond fiber laser. The hard X-ray source has yield efficiencies similar to those obtained with solid state laser drivers with comparable pulse energies and intensities. Further experiments on increasing X-ray yield efficiency with higher pulse energies from the current system are in progress. Since this fiber laser technology is scalable to >100-W of average power this demonstration opens a path towards compact high-brightness hard X-ray sources for imaging and time resolved diffraction experiments.