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.