Direct multiple monochromatic x-ray imaging with a pinhole array and a laterally graded multilayer mirror

Multiple monochromatic x-ray imaging (MMI) is a technique for diagnosing the emission spectra of tracer elements in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion experiments. This study proposes an MMI method that combines a simple pinhole array with a laterally graded multilayer mirror. The method directly obtains multiple monochromatic x-ray images by regulating the multilayer thickness in different mirror positions to compensate for the energy-broadening effect. This paper presents a comprehensive design scheme, the multilayer fabrication and experimental verification of the gradient MMI imaging performance. The experimental results show that the method achieves monochromatic imaging with a spectral resolution of ∼70–90 eV in several keV energy regions. This paper presents a practical diagnostic approach for directly and synchronously capturing the spatial, temporal, and spectral information of laser plasma x rays.