Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of generating a collimated electromagnetic emission, the method comprising:producing an excitation in a sample of multiple particles by vibrationally stimulating the sample thereby transitioning each particle of at least a quantity of the multiple particles from a lower first energy state to a higher second energy state,wherein the multiple particles of the sample are positioned on a planar support surface, andwherein the planar support surface comprises deformations that are quadratic or higher-order in transverse surface coordinates; andgenerating a collimated electromagnetic emission by de-excitation of at least a portion of the quantity of the multiple particles. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein vibrationally stimulating the sample comprises establishing phase coherence among at least some of the multiple particles of the sample. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the collimated electromagnetic emission is generated by phased array emission. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the planar support surface comprises a cathode. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein, as the electromagnetic emission is generated, the multiple particles comprise phase coherent emitting dipoles. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the multiple particles of the sample are randomly positioned on the planar support surface. 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the collimated electromagnetic emission comprises a beam directed normal to the planar support surface. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the multiple particles of the sample are positioned within an area on the planar support surface, and the beam has a cross-sectional area essentially equivalent to the area on the planar support surface. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the planar support surface comprises aligned crystal planes. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the crystal planes are aligned by rolling. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the deformations are produced by at least one of ion bombardment and sputtering. 12. The method of claim 7, wherein the beam has a shape predetermined by a selected preparation of the deformations. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein:the collimated electromagnetic emission comprises a beam generated by phased array emissions from the multiple particles of the sample;the multiple particles of the sample are positioned on a support surface having a circular diameter; andthe support surface varies from a plane according to the time varying function:u(x,y)=c(t)x2+d(t)y2+f(t)xy in which:u is defined as a displacement from the plane;x is defined as a first position coordinate along a first axis in the plane;y is defined as a second position coordinate along a second axis in the plane perpendicular to the first axis;c(t) is a time varying first parameter;d(t) is a time varying second parameter; andd(t) is a time varying third parameter. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the beam focuses as a spot smaller than the circular diameter at a distance Z from the support surface when:c(t)=0.80/2Z; d(t)=0.80/2Z; and f(t)=0. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the beam focuses as a line segment having a length greater than the circular diameter at a distance Z from the support surface when:c(t)=−0.30/2Z; d(t)=0.90/2Z; and f(t)=0. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein vibrationally stimulating the sample comprises producing excitations via up-conversion of vibrational energy. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the collimated electromagnetic emission comprises X-ray emission. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the X-ray emission is generated by up-conversion of vibrational energy resulting in phase coherence. 19. An apparatus for generating a collimated electromagnetic emission, comprising:a support structure having a surface, wherein the surface comprises deformations that are quadratic or higher-order in transverse surface coordinates;a sample of multiple particles positioned on the surface;a device configured to vibrationally stimulate the sample thereby transitioning each particle of at least a quantity of the multiple particles from a lower first energy state to a higher second energy state such that a collimated electromagnetic emission is generated by de-excitation of at least a portion of the quantity of the multiple particles. 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the surface of the support structure is planar. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the collimated electromagnetic emission comprises a beam directed normal to the surface. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the multiple particles of the sample are randomly positioned on the surface. 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the support structure comprises a cathode. 24. The method of claim 19, wherein the surface comprises aligned crystal planes.