Search Results
Linear chirped slope profile for spatial calibration in slope measuring deflectometry
2016, Siewert, F., Zeschke, T., Arnold, T., Paetzelt, H, Yashchuk, V.V.
Slope measuring deflectometry is commonly used by the X-ray optics community to measure the long-spatial-wavelength surface figure error of optical components dedicated to guide and focus X-rays under grazing incidence condition at synchrotron and free electron laser beamlines. The best performing instruments of this kind are capable of absolute accuracy on the level of 30-50 nrad. However, the exact bandwidth of the measurements, determined at the higher spatial frequencies by the instrumentβs spatial resolution, or more generally by the instrumentβs modulation transfer function (MTF) is hard to determine. An MTF calibration method based on application of a test surface with a one-dimensional (1D) chirped height profile of constant amplitude was suggested in the past. In this work, we propose a new approach to designing the test surfaces with a 2D-chirped topography, specially optimized for MTF characterization of slope measuring instruments. The design of the developed MTF test samples based on the proposed linear chirped slope profiles (LCSPs) is free of the major drawback of the 1D chirped height profiles, where in the slope domain, the amplitude strongly increases with the local spatial frequency of the profile. We provide the details of fabrication of the LCSP samples. The results of first application of the developed test samples to measure the spatial resolution of the BESSY-NOM at different experimental arrangements are also presented and discussed.
A transportable Paul-trap for levitation and accurate positioning of micron-scale particles in vacuum for laser-plasma experiments
2018, Ostermayr, T.M., Gebhard, J., Haffa, D., Kiefer, D., Kreuzer, C., Allinger, K., BΓΆmer, C., Braenzel, J., SchnΓΌrer, M., Cermak, I., Schreiber, J., Hilz, P.
We report on a Paul-trap system with large access angles that allows positioning of fully isolated micrometer-scale particles with micrometer precision as targets in high-intensity laser-plasma interactions. This paper summarizes theoretical and experimental concepts of the apparatus as well as supporting measurements that were performed for the trapping process of single particles.
Generating circularly polarized radiation in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range at the free-electron laser FLASH
2017, von Korff Schmising, Clemens, Weder, David, Noll, Tino, Pfau, Bastian, Hennecke, Martin, StrΓΌber, Christian, Radu, Ilie, Schneider, Michael, Staeck, Steffen, GΓΌnther, Christian M., LΓΌning, Jan, Merhe, Alaa el dine, Buck, Jens, Hartmann, Gregor, Viefhaus, Jens, Treusch, Rolf, Eisebitt, Stefan
A new device for polarization control at the free electron laser facility FLASH1 at DESY has been commissioned for user operation. The polarizer is based on phase retardation upon reflection off metallic mirrors. Its performance is characterized in three independent measurements and confirms the theoretical predictions of efficient and broadband generation of circularly polarized radiation in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range from 35 eV to 90 eV. The degree of circular polarization reaches up to 90% while maintaining high total transmission values exceeding 30%. The simple design of the device allows straightforward alignment for user operation and rapid switching between left and right circularly polarized radiation.
Ultrafast phosphate hydration dynamics in bulk H2O
2015, Costard, Rene, Tyborski, Tobias, Fingerhut, Benjamin P., Elsaesser, Thomas
Phosphate vibrations serve as local probes of hydrogen bonding and structural fluctuations of hydration shells around ions. Interactions of H2PO4β ions and their aqueous environment are studied combining femtosecond 2D infrared spectroscopy, ab-initio calculations, and hybrid quantum-classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Two-dimensional infrared spectra of the symmetric (ππ(POβ2)) and asymmetric (ππ΄π(POβ2)) POβ2 stretching vibrations display nearly homogeneous lineshapes and pronounced anharmonic couplings between the two modes and with the Ξ΄(P-(OH)2) bending modes. The frequency-time correlation function derived from the 2D spectra consists of a predominant 50 fs decay and a weak constant component accounting for a residual inhomogeneous broadening. MD simulations show that the fluctuating electric field of the aqueous environment induces strong fluctuations of the ππ(POβ2) and ππ΄π(POβ2) transition frequencies with larger frequency excursions for ππ΄π(POβ2). The calculated frequency-time correlation function is in good agreement with the experiment. The π(POβ2) frequencies are mainly determined by polarization contributions induced by electrostatic phosphate-water interactions. H2PO4β/H2O cluster calculations reveal substantial frequency shifts and mode mixing with increasing hydration. Predicted phosphate-water hydrogen bond (HB) lifetimes have values on the order of 10 ps, substantially longer than water-water HB lifetimes. The ultrafast phosphate-water interactions observed here are in marked contrast to hydration dynamics of phospholipids where a quasi-static inhomogeneous broadening of phosphate vibrations suggests minor structural fluctuations of interfacial water.
Vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy of lipid bilayers at repetition rates up to 100 kHz
2018, Yesudas, Freeda, Mero, Mark, Kneipp, Janina, Heiner, Zsuzsanna
Broadband vibrational sum-frequency generation (BB-VSFG) spectroscopy has become a well-established surface analytical tool capable of identifying the orientation and structure of molecular layers. A straightforward way to boost the sensitivity of the technique could be to increase the laser repetition rate beyond that of standard BB-VSFG spectrometers, which rely on Ti:sapphire lasers operating at repetition rates of 1-5 kHz. Nevertheless, possible thermally induced artifacts in the vibrational spectra due to higher laser average powers are unexplored. Here, we discuss laser power induced temperature accumulation effects that distort the BB-VSFG spectra of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine at an interface between two transparent phases at repetition rates of 5, 10, 50, and 100 kHz at constant pulse energy. No heat-induced distortions were found in the spectra, suggesting that the increase in the laser repetition rate provides a feasible route to an improved signal-to-noise ratio or shorter data acquisition times in BB-VSFG spectroscopy for thin films on transparent substrates. The results have implications for future BB-VSFG spectrometers pushing the detection limit for molecular layers with low surface coverage.