Focusing Betatron Radiation Produced by Laser Wakefield Accelerated Electrons with a Spherically Curved Crystal

Laser Wakefield Acceleration in the bubble regime can be used to accelerate electrons to GeV energies while simultaneously wiggling them to produce a synchotron like x-ray radiation. Using HERCULES, a 100TW TiSapphire laser, 30fs pulses are focused onto a 5mm He gas jet to accelerate electrons in the bubble regime. The betatron x-rays produced by the transverse motion of the accelerated electrons are focused onto a detector by a spherically curved quartz, and other crystals. This result shows the feasibility of dynamic studies of crystal diffraction, with femtosecond level accuracy, using pump probe techniques.