Region-of-interest micro-focus computed tomography based on an all-optical inverse Compton scattering source

Micro-focus computed tomography (CT), which allows the hyperfine structure within objects to be reconstructed, is a powerful nondestructive testing tool in many fields. However, current x-ray sources for micro-focus CT are typically limited by their relatively low photon energy and low flux. An all-optical inverse Compton scattering source (AOCS) based on laser wakefield acceleration can generate intense quasi-monoenergetic x/gamma-ray pulses in the kilo- to megaelectronvolt range with micrometer-level source size, and its potential application for micro-focus CT has become very attractive in recent years because of the rapid progress made in laser wakefield acceleration. Reported here is a successful experimental demonstration of high-fidelity micro-focus CT using an AOCS (∼70 keV) by imaging and reconstructing a test object with complex inner structures. A region-of-interest CT method is adopted to utilize the relatively small field of view of the AOCS to ensure high spatial resolution. This demonstration of AOCS-based region-of-interest micro-focus CT is a key step toward its application in the field of hyperfine nondestructive testing.