Time-gated imaging with an ultrashort-pulse, laser-produced-plasma x-ray source

Abstract

We demonstrate a contrast improvement of nearly a factor of 5 in a phantom medical x-ray image, using time-gated detection. This improvement is accomplished by temporal discrimination against scattered x-ray flux and may permit a significant reduction in patient x-ray exposure. A multiterawatt ultrashort-pulse laser-produced-plasma x-ray source (<1 ps) and a time-gated microchannel plate detector (~100 ps) are used.