High-Intense Gamma-Ray Emission from a Crystalline Undulator with Realistic Bending Profiles

RESUMO

The development of compact and intense $\gamma$-ray sources in the MeV energy range remains a significant frontier in radiation physics, with profound implications for nuclear physics, medicine and applied science. In this work, we present a comprehensive numerical investigation of the photon emission probability and brilliance of a Crystalline Undulator (CU) based on a periodically bent Si(110) crystal. Our approach integrates realistic deformation profiles obtained via Finite Element Method simulations of a realistic sample, where bending is induced by patterned Si$_3$N$_4$ surface stressors. Relativistic molecular dynamics simulations, performed using the MBN Explorer software package, consider a 10 GeV positron beam consistent with the foreseen FACET-II facility specifications. Our results reveal a distinct undulator radiation peak in the 1.6-2.1 MeV range, well-separated from the broader channeling radiation background. We show that for an optimal aperture angle of $1/2\gamma$, the source reaches a maximum peak brilliance of about $5\times10^{22}$~photons/s/mm$^2$/mrad$^2$/0.1\%~BW. This performance is highly competitive with large-scale Gamma-Beam Systems and exceeds that of Inverse-Compton Scattering sources, confirming the potential of crystalline undulators as high-brilliance, compact light sources for the MeV domain.