Unidirectional x-ray output from a crystal waveguide affected by Berry's phase

• Published in: Optics express 2016-10, Vol.24 (21), p.24544-24550
• Main Authors: Takei, Dai, Kohmura, Yoshiki, Ishikawa, Tetsuya, Sawada, Kei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/oe.24.024544

We show momentum-space characteristics of X-rays affected by Berry's phase in a deformed crystal, allowing a 15 keV beam inside a silicon crystal to be translated parallel to its optical axis while retaining its angular divergence and wave front. This data is the first evidence supporting the whole theoretical picture of Sawada et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 154802 (2006), consisting of two equations of motion about the X-ray propagation. An output beam was as much as 3.3% of the incident after propagating through 1.3 mm silicon along a lateral direction of the chip inclined at 17.722°. As its initial practical application we further utilized the device as an X-ray intensity modulator. Our results revealed a new aspect of the Berry phase and lead to an X-ray waveguide that can enhance the flexibility of future high-energy experiments.