Electron diffraction intensity from single crystal silicon in a photoinjector

A method, comprising:

• simulating diffraction in a transmission geometry of relativistic electron bunches from a crystallographic structure of a crystal, thereby simulating diffraction of the relativistic electron bunches into a plurality of Bragg peaks;
• selecting, based on the simulated diffraction of the relativistic electron bunches from the crystallographic structure, a range of angles between a direction of propagation of the relativistic electron bunches and a normal direction of crystal, wherein the range of angles is selected to include an angle at which a diffraction portion into a respective Bragg peak of the plurality of Bragg peaks is maximized;
• sequentially accelerating a plurality of physical electron bunches to relativistic energies, wherein the plurality of physical electron bunches are accelerated toward a physical crystal having the crystallographic structure;
• diffracting the plurality of physical electron bunches off the physical crystal at different angles within the range of angles;
• measuring the diffraction portion into the respective Bragg peak at the different angles within the range of angles;
• selecting a final angle based on the measured diffraction portion into the respective Bragg peak at the different angles within the range of angles;
• generating a pulse of light, including:
• accelerating a subsequent physical electron bunch to a relativistic energy;
• diffracting the subsequent physical electron bunch off the physical crystal at final angle;
• and
• generating the pulse of light using the diffracted subsequent physical electron bunch.