Megahertz-rate Ultrafast X-ray Scattering and Holographic Imaging at the European XFEL

Abstract

The advent of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has revolutionized fundamental science, from atomic to condensed matter physics, from chemistry to biology, giving researchers access to X-rays with unprecedented brightness, coherence, and pulse duration. All XFEL facilities built until recently provided X-ray pulses at a relatively low repetition rate, with limited data statistics. Here, we present the results from the first megahertz repetition rate X-ray scattering experiments at the Spectroscopy and Coherent Scattering (SCS) instrument of the European XFEL. We illustrate the experimental capabilities that the SCS instrument offers, resulting from the operation at MHz repetition rates and the availability of the novel DSSC 2D imaging detector. Time-resolved magnetic X-ray scattering and holographic imaging experiments in solid state samples were chosen as representative, providing an ideal test-bed for operation at megahertz rates. Our results are relevant and applicable to any other non-destructive XFEL experiments in the soft X-ray range.

arXiv comment13 pages, 5 figures. Supplementary Information as ancillary file

References in corpus (9)

• Plasmonic Films Can Easily Be Better: Rules and Recipes
• Field-free deterministic ultra fast creation of skyrmions by spin orbit torques
• The Ultrafast Einstein-De Haas Effect
• Statistical and coherence properties of radiation from X-ray free electron lasers
• Spin-current-mediated rapid magnon localisation and coalescence after ultrafast optical pumping of ferrimagnetic alloys
• Femtosecond X-ray magnetic circular dichroism absorption spectroscopy at an X-ray free electron laser
• Generation of high-frequency strain waves during femtosecond demagnetization of Fe/MgO films
• Laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy reduction in a Co${}_{88}$Tb${}_{12}$ thin film with stripe domains
• Irreversible transformation of ferromagnetic ordered stripe domains in single-shot IR pump - resonant X-ray scattering probe experiments

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Probing laser-driven structure formation at extreme scales in space and time
• Pump--probe x-ray microscopy of photo-induced magnetization dynamics at MHz repetition rates