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Now showing 1 - 10 of 19
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    Singleshot polychromatic coherent diffractive imaging with a high-order harmonic source
    (Washington, DC : Soc., 2020) Malm, Erik; Wikmark, Hampus; Pfau, Bastian; Villanueva-Perez, Pablo; Rudawski, Piotr; Peschel, Jasper; Maclot, Sylvain; Schneider, Michael; Eisebitt, Stefan; Mikkelsen, Anders; L’Huillier, Anne; Johnsson, Per
    Singleshot polychromatic coherent diffractive imaging is performed with a high-intensity high-order harmonic generation source. The coherence properties are analyzed and several reconstructions show the shot-to-shot fluctuations of the incident beam wavefront. The method is based on a multi-step approach. First, the spectrum is extracted from double-slit diffraction data. The spectrum is used as input to extract the monochromatic sample diffraction pattern, then phase retrieval is performed on the quasi-monochromatic data to obtain the sample’s exit surface wave. Reconstructions based on guided error reduction (ER) and alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) are compared. ADMM allows additional penalty terms to be included in the cost functional to promote sparsity within the reconstruction. © 2020 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement.
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    Ultrafast Demagnetization Dominates Fluence Dependence of Magnetic Scattering at Co M Edges
    (College Park, Md. : APS, 2020) Schneider, Michael; Pfau, Bastian; Günther, Christian M.; von Korff Schmising, Clemens; Weder, David; Geilhufe, Jan; Perron, Jonathan; Capotondi, Flavio; Pedersoli, Emanuele; Manfredda, Michele; Hennecke, Martin; Vodungbo, Boris; Lüning, Jan; Eisebitt, Stefan
    We systematically study the fluence dependence of the resonant scattering cross-section from magnetic domains in Co/Pd-based multilayers. Samples are probed with single extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses of femtosecond duration tuned to the Co M3,2 absorption resonances using the FERMI@Elettra free-electron laser. We report quantitative data over 3 orders of magnitude in fluence, covering 16  mJ/cm2/pulse to 10 000  mJ/cm2/pulse with pulse lengths of 70 fs and 120 fs. A progressive quenching of the diffraction cross-section with fluence is observed. Compression of the same pulse energy into a shorter pulse—implying an increased XUV peak electric field—results in a reduced quenching of the resonant diffraction at the Co M3,2 edge. We conclude that the quenching effect observed for resonant scattering involving the short-lived Co 3p core vacancies is noncoherent in nature. This finding is in contrast to previous reports investigating resonant scattering involving the longer-lived Co 2p states, where stimulated emission has been found to be important. A phenomenological model based on XUV-induced ultrafast demagnetization is able to reproduce our entire set of experimental data and is found to be consistent with independent magneto-optical measurements of the demagnetization dynamics on the same samples.
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    In situ single-shot diffractive fluence mapping for X-ray free-electron laser pulses
    ([London] : Nature Publishing Group UK, 2018) Schneider, Michael; Günther, Christian M.; Pfau, Bastian; Capotondi, Flavio; Manfredda, Michele; Zangrando, Marco; Mahne, Nicola; Raimondi, Lorenzo; Pedersoli, Emanuele; Naumenko, Denys; Eisebitt, Stefan
    Free-electron lasers (FELs) in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and X-ray regime opened up the possibility for experiments at high power densities, in particular allowing for fluence-dependent absorption and scattering experiments to reveal non-linear light-matter interactions at ever shorter wavelengths. Findings of such non-linear effects are met with tremendous interest, but prove difficult to understand and model due to the inherent shot-to-shot fluctuations in photon intensity and the often structured, non-Gaussian spatial intensity profile of a focused FEL beam. Presently, the focused beam is characterized and optimized separately from the actual experiment. Here, we present the simultaneous measurement of XUV diffraction signals from solid samples in tandem with the corresponding single-shot spatial fluence distribution on the actual sample. Our in situ characterization scheme enables direct monitoring of the sample illumination, providing a basis to optimize and quantitatively understand FEL experiments.
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    Achieving diffraction-limited resolution in soft-X-ray Fourier-transform holography
    (Amsterdam : Elsevier Science, 2020) Geilhufe, Jan; Pfau, Bastian; Günther, Christian M.; Schneider, Michael; Eisebitt, Stefan
    The spatial resolution of microscopic images acquired via X-ray Fourier-transform holography is limited by the source size of the reference wave and by the numerical aperture of the detector. We analyze the interplay between both influences and show how they are matched in practice. We further identify, how high spatial frequencies translate to imaging artifacts in holographic reconstructions where mainly the reference beam limits the spatial resolution. As a solution, three methods are introduced based on numerical post-processing of the reconstruction. The methods comprise apodization of the hologram, refocusing via wave propagation, and deconvolution using the transfer function of the imaging system. In particular for the latter two, we demonstrate that image details smaller than the source size of the reference beam can be recovered up to the diffraction limit of the hologram. Our findings motivate the intentional application of a large reference-wave source enhancing the image contrast in applications with low photon numbers such as single-shot experiments at free-electron lasers or imaging at laboratory sources.
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    Terahertz magnetic field enhancement in an asymmetric spiral metamaterial
    (Bristol : IOP Publ., 2018-10-25) Polley, Debanjan; Hagström, Nanna Zhou; Schmising, Clemens von Korff; Eisebitt, Stefan; Bonetti, Stefano
    We use finite element simulations in both the frequency and the time-domain to study the terahertz resonance characteristics of a metamaterial (MM) comprising a spiral connected to a straight arm. The MM acts as a RLC circuit whose resonance frequency can be precisely tuned by varying the characteristic geometrical parameters of the spiral: inner and outer radius, width and number of turns. We provide a simple analytical model that uses these geometrical parameters as input to give accurate estimates of the resonance frequency. Finite element simulations show that linearly polarized terahertz radiation efficiently couples to the MM thanks to the straight arm, inducing a current in the spiral, which in turn induces a resonant magnetic field enhancement at the center of the spiral. We observe a large (approximately 40 times) and uniform (over an area of ∼10 μm2) enhancement of the magnetic field for narrowband terahertz radiation with frequency matching the resonance frequency of the MM. When a broadband, single-cycle terahertz pulse propagates towards the MM, the peak magnetic field of the resulting band-passed waveform still maintains a six-fold enhancement compared to the peak impinging field. Using existing laser-based terahertz sources, our MM design allows to generate magnetic fields of the order of 2 T over a time scale of several picoseconds, enabling the investigation of nonlinear ultrafast spin dynamics in table-top experiments. Furthermore, our MM can be implemented to generate intense near-field narrowband, multi-cycle electromagnetic fields to study generic ultrafast resonant terahertz dynamics in condensed matter.
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    27 W 2.1 µm OPCPA system for coherent soft X-ray generation operating at 10 kHz
    (Washington, DC : Soc., 2020) Feng, Tianli; Heilmann, Anke; Bock, Martin; Ehrentraut, Lutz; Witting, Tobias; Yu, Haohai; Stiel, Holger; Eisebitt, Stefan; Schnürer, Matthias
    We developed a high power optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) system at 2.1 µm harnessing a 500 W Yb:YAG thin disk laser as the only pump and signal generation source. The OPCPA system operates at 10 kHz with a single pulse energy of up to 2.7 mJ and pulse duration of 30 fs. The maximum average output power of 27 W sets a new record for an OPCPA system in the 2 µm wavelength region. The soft X-ray continuum generated through high harmonic generation with this driver laser can extend to around 0.55 keV, thus covering the entire water window (284 eV - 543 eV). With a repetition rate still enabling pump-probe experiments on solid samples, the system can be used for many applications. © 2020 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement
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    Multi-color imaging of magnetic Co/Pt heterostructures
    (Melville, NY : AIP Publishing LLC, 2017) Willems, Felix; von Korff Schmising, Clemens; Weder, David; Günther, Christian M.; Schneider, Michael; Pfau, Bastian; Meise, Sven; Guehrs, Erik; Geilhufe, Jan; Merhe, Alaa El Din; Jal, Emmanuelle; Vodungbo, Boris; Lüning, Jan; Mahieu, Benoit; Capotondi, Flavio; Pedersoli, Emanuele; Gauthier, David; Manfredda, Michele; Eisebitt, Stefan
    We present an element specific and spatially resolved view of magnetic domainsin Co/Pt heterostructures in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. Resonantsmall-angle scattering and coherent imaging with Fourier-transform holographyreveal nanoscale magnetic domain networks via magnetic dichroism of Co at theM2,3 edges as well as via strong dichroic signals at the O2,3 and N6,7 edges of Pt.We demonstrate for the first time simultaneous, two-color coherent imaging at afree-electron laser facility paving the way for a direct real space access toultrafast magnetization dynamics in complex multicomponent material systems.
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    Real-time spatial characterization of micrometer-sized X-ray free-electron laser beams focused by bendable mirrors
    (Washington, DC : Soc., 2022) Mercurio, Giuseppe; Chalupský, Jaromír; Nistea, Ioana-Theodora; Schneider, Michael; Hájková, Věra; Gerasimova, Natalia; Carley, Robert; Cascella, Michele; Le Guyader, Loïc; Mercadier, Laurent; Schlappa, Justine; Setoodehnia, Kiana; Teichmann, Martin; Yaroslavtsev, Alexander; Burian, Tomáš; Vozda, Vojtĕch; Vyšín, Luděk; Wild, Jan; Hickin, David; Silenzi, Alessandro; Stupar, Marijan; Torben Delitz, Jan; Broers, Carsten; Reich, Alexander; Pfau, Bastian; Eisebitt, Stefan; La Civita, Daniele; Sinn, Harald; Vannoni, Maurizio; Alcock, Simon G.; Juha, Libor; Scherz, Andreas
    A real-time and accurate characterization of the X-ray beam size is essential to enable a large variety of different experiments at free-electron laser facilities. Typically, ablative imprints are employed to determine shape and size of μm-focused X-ray beams. The high accuracy of this state-of-the-art method comes at the expense of the time required to perform an ex-situ image analysis. In contrast, diffraction at a curved grating with suitably varying period and orientation forms a magnified image of the X-ray beam, which can be recorded by a 2D pixelated detector providing beam size and pointing jitter in real time. In this manuscript, we compare results obtained with both techniques, address their advantages and limitations, and demonstrate their excellent agreement. We present an extensive characterization of the FEL beam focused to ≈1 μm by two Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors, along with optical metrology slope profiles demonstrating their exceptionally high quality. This work provides a systematic and comprehensive study of the accuracy provided by curved gratings in real-time imaging of X-ray beams at a free-electron laser facility. It is applied here to soft X-rays and can be extended to the hard X-ray range. Furthermore, curved gratings, in combination with a suitable detector, can provide spatial properties of μm-focused X-ray beams at MHz repetition rate.
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    Enabling time-resolved 2D spatial-coherence measurements using the Fourier-analysis method with an integrated curved-grating beam monitor
    (Washington, DC : Soc., 2020) Bagschik, Kai; Schneider, Michael; Wagner, Jochen; Buss, Ralph; Riepp, Matthias; Philippi-Kobs, Andre; Müller, Leonard; Roseker, Wojciech; Trinter, Florian; Hoesch, Moritz; Viefhaus, Jens; Eisebitt, Stefan; Grübel, Gerhard; Oepen, Hans Peter; Frömter, Robert
    Direct 2D spatial-coherence measurements are increasingly gaining importance at synchrotron beamlines, especially due to present and future upgrades of synchrotron facilities to diffraction-limited storage rings. We present a method to determine the 2D spatial coherence of synchrotron radiation in a direct and particularly simple way by using the Fourier-analysis method in conjunction with curved gratings. Direct photon-beam monitoring provided by a curved grating circumvents the otherwise necessary separate determination of the illuminating intensity distribution required for the Fourier-analysis method. Hence, combining these two methods allows for time-resolved spatial-coherence measurements. As a consequence, spatial-coherence degradation effects caused by beamline optics vibrations, which is one of the key issues of state-of-the-art X-ray imaging and scattering beamlines, can be identified and analyzed. © 2020 Optical Society of America.
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    Element-specific magnetization dynamics of complex magnetic systems probed by ultrafast magneto-optical spectroscopy
    (Basel : MDPI, 2020) Korff Schmising, Clemens von; Willems, Felix; Sharma, Sangeeta; Yao, Kelvin; Borchert, Martin; Hennecke, Martin; Schick, Daniel; Radu, Ilie; Strüber, Christian; Engel, Dieter W.; Shokeen, Vishal; Buck, Jens; Bagschik, Kai; Viefhaus, Jens; Hartmann, Gregor; Manschwetus, Bastian; Grunewald, Soeren; Düsterer, Stefan; Jal, Emmanuelle; Vodungbo, Boris; Lüning, Jan; Eisebitt, Stefan
    The vision to manipulate and control magnetism with light is driven on the one hand by fundamental questions of direct and indirect photon-spin interactions, and on the other hand by the necessity to cope with ever growing data volumes, requiring radically new approaches on how to write, read and process information. Here, we present two complementary experimental geometries to access the element-specific magnetization dynamics of complex magnetic systems via ultrafast magneto-optical spectroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. First, we employ linearly polarized radiation of a free electron laser facility to demonstrate decoupled dynamics of the two sublattices of an FeGd alloy, a prerequisite for all-optical magnetization switching. Second, we use circularly polarized radiation generated in a laboratory-based high harmonic generation setup to show optical inter-site spin transfer in a CoPt alloy, a mechanism which only very recently has been predicted to mediate ultrafast metamagnetic phase transitions. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.