X-ray laser beam with diffraction-limited divergence generated with two gain media

Tanaka, Momoko; Nishikino, Masaharu; Kawachi, Tetsuya; Hasegawa, Noboru; Kado, Masataka; Kishimoto, Maki; Nagashima, Keisuke; Kato, Yoshiaki 

We have demonstrated an x-ray laser at a wavelength of 13.9 nm with a beam divergence of 0.2 mrad, which is 1.8 times the diffraction limit. The x-ray laser is generated using two gain media, where the seed x-ray pulse from the first medium is amplified in the second medium. The effect of refraction on x-ray propagation is reduced by spatially and temporally controlling the injection of the seed x-ray to the second medium.