Time-resolved investigation of nanometer scale deformations induced by a high flux x-ray beam

We present results of a time-resolved pump-probe experiment where a Si sample was exposed to an intense 15 keV beam and its surface monitored by measuring the wavefront deformation of a reflected optical laser probe beam. By reconstructing and back propagating the wavefront, the deformed surface can be retrieved for each time step. The dynamics of the heat bump, build-up and relaxation, is followed with a spatial resolution in the nanometer range. The results are interpreted taking into account results of finite element method simulations. Due to its robustness and simplicity this method should find further developments at new x-ray light sources (FEL) or be used to gain understanding on thermo-dynamical behavior of highly excited materials. (C) 2011 Optical Society of Americ

High-resolution macromolecular crystallography at the FemtoMAX beamline with time-over-threshold photon detection

Protein dynamics contribute to protein function on different time scales. Ultrafast X-ray diffraction snapshots can visualize the location and amplitude of atom displacements after perturbation. Since amplitudes of ultrafast motions are small, high-quality X-ray diffraction data is necessary for detection. Diffraction from bovine trypsin crystals using single femtosecond X-ray pulses was recorded at FemtoMAX, which is a versatile beamline of the MAX IV synchrotron. The time-over-threshold detection made it possible that single photons are distinguishable even under short-pulse low-repetition-rate conditions. The diffraction data quality from FemtoMAX beamline enables atomic resolution investigation of protein structures. This evaluation is based on the shape of the Wilson plot, cumulative intensity distribution compared with theoretical distribution, I/σ, Rmerge /Rmeas and CC1/2 statistics versus resolution. The FemtoMAX beamline provides an interesting alternative to X-ray free-electron lasers when studying reversible processes in protein crystals

Picosecond X-ray Diffraction Studies of Bulk and Nanostructure Materials

Fast phenomena occurring after laser excitation were studied using time-resolved X-ray diffraction (TXRD). In most experiments, a femtosecond laser pulse was used to excite the sample, and X-rays were used as a probe. The X-ray diffraction technique was used to study bulk semiconductor samples, molten liquids, ferro-electric domain switching in potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP), and strain propagation in graphite and semiconductor nanowires. When a laser pulse is absorbed by a solid, a wide range of phase transitions and phenomena can be induced. If the laser fluence is high enough to melt the material, repetitive illumination will create periodic structures on the surface of the sample. This effect was studied using static X-ray diffraction, and it was shown that the effect is important if liquid scattering experiments are carried out on molten samples using the laser in repetitive mode. When the laser fluence is too low to cause sample melting, coherent acoustic phonons can be excited, and this effect was studied in semiconductor nanowires. The time resolution of the synchrotron light source is defined by the length of the electron bunch in the storage ring, and is typically 50-300 ps. In order to achieve higher time resolution, short X-ray pulses, such as those at the SLS, or fast detectors, such as the streak cameras available at MAX-lab can be used. X-ray diffraction is a very sensitive technique for the study of structures, since X-ray photons scatter from all the electrons in the sample. Scattered X-rays can be used to recreate the atomic structure in the sample. In TXRD the sample is perturbed and subsequently probed after a certain delay, giving a snapshot of the structure at a given time. Several images can be merged providing a real-time movie of the structural changes. This was achieved with nanosecond time resolution at MAX-lab, when a laser-created liquid was studied. The development of a sub-picosecond, hard X-ray streak camera was one of the prerequisites for many of the studies presented in this thesis. This detector was used to study the acoustic vibrations in InSb nanowires. Oscillations with a period of 30-70 ps were recorded, and were attributed to acoustic phonons in the semiconductor nanowire. A dramatic decrease in the velocity of acoustic waves was also observed in these structures

Real-time observation of coherent acoustic phonons generated by an acoustically mismatched optoacoustic transducer using x-ray diffraction

The spectrum of laser-generated acoustic phonons in indium antimonide coated with a thin nickel film has been studied using time-resolved x-ray diffraction. Strain pulses that can be considered to be built up from coherent phonons were generated in the nickel film by absorption of short laser pulses. Acoustic reflections at the Ni-InSb interface leads to interference that strongly modifies the resulting phonon spectrum. The study was performed with high momentum transfer resolution together with high time resolution. This was achieved by using a third-generation synchrotron radiation source that provided a high-brightness beam and an ultrafast x-ray streak camera to obtain a temporal resolution of 10 ps. We also carried out simulations, using commercial finite element software packages and on-line dynamic diffraction tools. Using these tools, it is possible to calculate the time-resolved x-ray reflectivity from these complicated strain shapes. The acoustic pulses have a peak strain amplitude close to 1%, and we investigated the possibility to use this device as an x-ray switch. At a bright source optimized for hard x-ray generation, the low reflectivity may be an acceptable trade-off to obtain a pulse duration that is more than an order of magnitude shorter. (C) 2015 Author(s)

Dispersion and monochromatization of x-rays using a beryllium prism

We demonstrate experimentally and numerically that an x-ray prism made of beryllium can be used to disperse and monochromatize x-rays. A polished beryllium cuboid was employed as refractive and dispersive optics. The results of a proof-of-principle experiment and methods of performance optimization are presented. The spatial separation of undulator harmonics and their subsequent selection using a slit are described. A numerical study, assuming realistic beam and beamline parameters, suggests that undulator harmonics can be spatially separated in the range from 3 keV to beyond 20 keV, while maintaining throughput above 50%. Refractive optics is particularly suitable for low-repetition-rate sources such as free-electron lasers and other LINAC-based short-pulse sources. (C) 2015 Optical Society of Americ

Time resolved X-ray studies in semiconductor nanostructures

Time resolved X-ray diffraction has been used to study acoustic oscillations in InAs/Sb nanowires with diameters of 80 nm and 40 nm in order to determine the speed of sound in the wires

X-ray diffraction from the ripple structures created by femtosecond laser pulses

In this paper, we present the investigation and characterization of the laser-induced surface structure on an asymmetrically cut InSb crystal. We describe diffraction from the ripple surface and present a theoretical model that can be used to simulate X-ray energy scans. The asymmetrically cut InSb sample was irradiated with short-pulse radiation centred at 800 nm, with fluences ranging from 10 to 80 mJ/cm(2). The irradiated sample surface profile was investigated using optical and atomic force microscopy. We have investigated how laser-induced ripples influence the possibility of studying repetitive melting of solids using X-ray diffraction. The main effects arise from variations in local asymmetry angles, which reduce the attenuation length and increase the X-ray diffraction efficiency