An X-ray laser has a target anode of a crystalline material that emits X-ray radiation in response to excitation and that is located on a thermally conductive substrate. An X-ray source provides an input X-ray beam that illuminates a predetermined volume of the target anode at a predefined angle relative to a surface of the anode so as to induce a Borrmann mode standing wave in the predetermined volume. An electron source outputs an electron beam that is incident on the Borrmann mode region so as to cause electron impact ionization of the crystalline material and thereby induce stimulated emission of a coherent output X-ray beam.