Ultra hard x rays from krypton clusters heated by intense laser fields

The interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with krypton clusters at intensity up to 1.3x10(18) Wcm(-2) has been investigated. Intense Kalpha and Kbeta emission from krypton at 12.66 and 14.1 keV, respectively, has been observed using conventional solid state x-ray detectors. The measured x-ray spectra have broad bremsstrahlung continuum reaching to photon energies up to 45 keV, with evidence that approximately 10% of electrons that are heated to very high electron temperatures, which is consistent with a two-temperature electron distribution. This is ascribed to the presence of a hot electron population, similar to that found in laser-solid interactions. The highest laser energy to x-ray conversion efficiency observed is 9.2x10(-7), which is equivalent to 45 nJ x-ray pulse energy from the 12.66 keV krypton Kalpha transition. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.