Signal averaging x-ray streak camera with picosecond jitter

Abstract
We have developed an averaging picosecond x-ray streak camera using a dc-biased photoconductive switch as a generator of a high-voltage ramp. The streak camera is operated at a sweep speed of up to 8 ps/mm, shot-to-shot jitter is less than ±1 ps. The streak camera has been used to measure the time history of broadband x-ray emission from an ultrashort pulse laser-produced plasma. Accumulation of the streaked x-ray signals significantly improved the signal-to-noise ratio of the data obtained.