Free-electron lasers (FELs) are currently the most advanced light sources operating worldwide, thanks to their capability to lase coherent ultrashort pulses, marked by photon energies bridging the gap between the Extreme-Ultraviolet (EUV) and the Soft (SXR) and Hard (HXR) X-Rays, alongside with unique high-brightness and temporal duration lying in the femtosecond (fs) timescale. FELs can exploit, in a time-resolved approach, spectroscopies daily employed at synchrotron light sources, mostly combining EUV, SXR and HXR pulses with optical ones. Nonetheless, the next advances in ultrafast x-Ray science are strongly linked to the extension of these time-resolved schemes to perform experiments engaging exclusively EUV, SXR and HXR pulses, so triggering (and probing) matter at its (or nearby) electronic resonance(s), to reveal the microscopic mechanisms hiding behind matter phases of primary interest for broadband applications. Indeed, designing the next generation of quantum devices, as well as tailoring a new classes of biomolecules for pharmacological applications, are just two examples that can be strongly boosted by means of this optical approach. To do this, is mandatory to split and delay (in time) FELs pulses, without impacting on both the radiation coherence properties and on the photon transport. At the seeded FERMI FEL (Trieste, Italy) this goal is committed by the optical device known as AC/DC, which stands for the Auto Correlator/Delay Creator, designed to split the incoming EUV and/or SXR pulse, introducing a tunable delay between these two pulses, marked by an intrinsic resolution in the sub-fs, and aided by an opto-numerical pointing feedback system.
The advent of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft x-ray free electron lasers (FELs) has enabled nonlinear optical experiments at wavelengths shorter than the visible-UV range. An important class of experiments is those based on the four-wave-mixing (FWM) approach, which are often based on interactions between pulses at different wavelengths. The exploitation of multiple EUV/soft x-ray wavelengths is not straightforward, but it can significantly expand the range of applications. In this manuscript we report on an experimental approach, based on the concomitant use of a non-collinear split-delay-and-recombination unit (“mini-Timer”) and on a two-color seeded FEL emission scheme (“twin-seed mode”). We used a diamond sample for demonstrating the capability of this setup of generating and detecting a FWM signal stimulated by two-color EUV FEL pulses. This approach can be further exploited for developing experimental methods based on non-linear EUV/x-ray optics.
XUV pulses at 26.2 nm wavelength were applied to induce graphitization of diamond through a non-thermal solid-to-solid phase transition. This process was observed within poly-crystalline diamond with a time-resolved experiment using ultrashort XUV pulses and cross correlated by ultrashort optical laser pulses. This scheme enabled for the first time the measurement of a phase transition on a timescale of ~150 fs. Excellent agreement between experiment and theoretical predictions was found, using a dedicated code that followed the non-equilibrium evolution of the irradiated diamond including all transient electronic and structural changes. These observations confirm that ultrashort XUV pulses can induce a non-thermal ultrafast solid-to-solid phase transition on a hundred femtosecond timescale.
The development of free electron laser (FEL) sources, which provide extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft x-ray radiation
of unprecedented coherence and almost transform-limited pulse structure, has opened up the realm of XUV/x-ray
non-linear optics. In particular, XUV four-wave-mixing (XFWM) experiments may allow, e.g., to probe correlations
among low-energy excitations and core states, and to access the “mesoscopic” wavevector range (0.1-1 nm-1), inaccessible
so far and fundamental to investigate nanostructures and disordered systems. In this manuscript we report on the latest
advances and future developments of the TIMER setup at FERMI (Elettra, Italy), specifically conceived for XFWM
experiments. In particular, we discuss the improvements on the XUV-probe and on the pump transport. Moreover, TIMER
and mini-TIMER (a test setup available at the DiProI end station) are also suitable for time-resolved second order nonlinear
experiments, which are intrinsically surface sensitive due to symmetry restrictions. We hereby discuss the foreseen
extension to the XUV of interface specific probing of electronic processes, for example charge and energy transfer, with
chemical specificity.
FERMI is the first seeded EUV-SXR free electron laser (FEL) user facility, and it is operated at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. Two of the four already operating beamlines, namely LDM (Low Density Matter) and DiProI (Diffraction and Projection Imaging), use a Kirkpatrick-Baez (K-B) active X-ray optics system for focusing the FEL pulses onto the target under investigation. A wafefront sensor is used as diagnostic for the characterization of the focused spot and for the optimization of the parameters of these active optical systems as well. The aim of this work is, first, to describe in detail the optimization procedure using the wavefront sensor through the minimization of the Zernike coefficients, and second, report on the final results obtained on the K-B optical system at the DiProI endstation. The wavefront sensor, mounted out of focus behind the DiProI chamber, allows to compute the intensity distribution of the FEL beam, typically a mix between several modes resulting in a ”noisy hyper-Gaussian” intensity profile, and the wavefront residual from ideal propagation shape and after tilt correction. Combining these two measures we can obtain the electric field of the wave out of focus. Propagating back the electric field we reconstruct the focal spot in far field approximation. In this way the sensor works as a diagnostic reconstructing the focal spot. On the other hand, after modelling the electric field with a Zernike polynomial it is easy and fast to optimize the mirror bending and the optical system angles by minimizing the aberrations, quantified in terms of Zernike coefficients. Since each coefficient corresponds to a single parameter, they can be minimized one at the time. Online wavefront measurements have made possible the optimization of the bending acting on the mirror curvature, and of the (pitch and roll) angle positions of the K-B system. From the wavefront measurements we have inferred a focal spot for DiProI of 5.5 μm x 6.2 μm at 32 nm wavelength, confirmed by the PMMA ablation imprints. The experimental results were compared with the predictions from simulations obtained using the WISE code, starting from the characterization of the actual mirror surface metrology. The results from simulations were found to be in agreement with the experimental measurements.
C. Spezzani, E. Ferrari, E. Allaria, F. Vidal, L. Lounis, A. Ciavardini, R. Delaunay, F. Capotondi, E. Pedersoli, M. Coreno, C. Svetina, L. Raimondi, M. Zangrando, R. Ivanov, I. Nikolov, A. Demidovich, M. Danailov, G. De Ninno, H. Popescu, M. Eddrief, M. Kiskinova, M. Sacchi
Magnetization control without applying magnetic fields has potential for applications in sensors and devices. In Fe/MnAs/GaAs(001), the Fe magnetization can be modified by acting on the MnAs microstructure via temperature control, without applying external magnetic fields. Here we use an optical laser pulse to vary the local temperature and an x-ray free-electron laser pulse to probe the induced magnetic and structural dynamics in a time-resolved resonant scattering experiment, both pulses having ~100 fs duration. Modifications of the MnAs microstructure take place within a few ps, followed by a slower dynamics driven by thermal diffusion. We show that a single optical laser pulse can reverse the Fe magnetization locally, the process being driven not by the fast modifications of the MnAs structure, but rather by its slower return to equilibrium.
In this manuscript we report on a compact experimental set-up (“mini-TIMER”) conceived for transient grating (TG) experiments based on free electron laser (FEL) radiation. This set-up has been tested at the seeded FEL facility FERMI (Elettra, Trieste, Italy) and allowed us to observe the first FEL-stimulated TG signal. This experimental result is of the greatest relevance in the context of developing coherent non-linear optical methods into the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) range. Such a challenging task will be addressed in the next future at FERMI by using the present set-up and the forthcoming EIS-TIMER beamline, which is being installed at FERMI and will start the commissioning phase in the second semester 2015. The possibility to use TGs generated by FEL radiation at sub-optical wavelengths would allow developing EUV/SXR four-wave-mixing (FWM) applications, so far considered only theoretically and widely believed to be potentially able to provide major breakthroughs in several fields of science.
P. Finetti, E. Allaria, B. Diviacco, C. Callegari, B. Mahieu, J. Viefhaus, M. Zangrando, G. De Ninno, G. Lambert, E. Ferrari, J. Buck, M. Ilchen, B. Vodungbo, N. Mahne, C. Svetina, C. Spezzani, S. Di Mitri, G. Penco, M. Trovò, W. Fawley, P. Rebernik, D. Gauthier, C. Grazioli, M. Coreno, B. Ressel, A. Kivimäki, T. Mazza, L. Glaser, F. Scholz, J. Seltmann, P. Gessler, J. Grünert, A. De Fanis, M. Meyer, A. Knie, S. Moeller, L. Raimondi, F. Capotondi, E. Pedersoli, O. Plekan, M. Danailov, A. Demidovich, I. Nikolov, A. Abrami, J. Gautier, J. Lüning, P. Zeitoun, L. Giannessi
FERMI, based at Elettra (Trieste, Italy) is the first free electron laser (FEL) facility operated for user experiments in
seeded mode. Another unique property of FERMI, among other FEL sources, is to allow control of the polarization state
of the radiation. Polarization dependence in the study of the interaction of coherent, high field, short-pulse ionizing
radiation with matter, is a new frontier with potential in a wide range of research areas. The first measurement of the
polarization-state of VUV light from a single-pass FEL was performed at FERMI FEL-1 operated in the 52 nm-26 nm
range. Three different experimental techniques were used. The experiments were carried out at the end-station of two
different beamlines to assess the impact of transport optics and provide polarization data for the end user. In this paper
we summarize the results obtained from different setups. The results are consistent with each other and allow a general
discussion about the viability of permanent diagnostics aimed at monitoring the polarization of FEL pulses.
FERMI is the first seeded EUV-SXR free electron laser (FEL) user facility operated at Elettra Sincrotrone
Trieste. Two of the three already operating beamlines, namely LDM (Low DensityMatter) and DiProI (Diffraction
and Projection Imaging), use a Kirkpatrick-Baez (K-B) active X-ray optics system for focusing the FEL
pulses onto the target under investigation. The present work reports on the final results obtained from the
optimization of the K-B optical system at the DiProI endstation. The aim of the optimization is to improve the
system performances in terms of quality and size of the focal spot onto the sample, controlling the fluence as
well. To characterize the performances and develop reliable and reproducible focusing procedures we performed
a campaign of measurements with several diagnostic systems, including a wavefront sensor mounted after the
DiProI chamber. Online wavefront measurements have made possible the optimization of the bending acting
on the mirror curvature and of the (pitch and roll) angle positions of the K-B system. From the wavefront
measurements we have inferred a focal spot of 8 μm x 9.5 μm, confirmed by the PMMA ablation imprints. The
experimental results are compared with the predictions from simulations obtained using the WISE code, starting
from the characterization of the actual mirror surface metrology. The results from simulations are in agreement
with the experimental measurements. Filtering the Fourier transform of the mirror surface profiles, using the
WISE code we have analyzed the impact of different spatial wavelengths on the focal spot degradation. For
different energies of the incident beam we established the threshold where the focal spot degradation is no longer
affected by the spatial wavelengths of the K-B mirror surfaces.
In the very last period we were starting to observe a degradation of the focal spot. After a metrology analysis
we concluded that the problem was due to a failure of the substrate material. We temporally solved the problem
checking the mounting, but we have planned an improvement of the material for the future.
Cristian Svetina, Nicola Mahne, Lorenzo Raimondi, Luca Rumiz, Marco Zangrando, Enrico Allaria, Filippo Bencivenga, Carlo Callegari, Flavio Capotondi, Davide Castronovo, Paolo Cinquegrana, Paolo Craievich, Ivan Cudin, Massimo Dal Forno, Miltcho Danailov, Gerardo D'Auria, Raffaele De Monte, Giovanni De Ninno, Alexander Demidovich, Simone Di Mitri, Bruno Diviacco, Alessandro Fabris, Riccardo Fabris, William Fawley, Mario Ferianis, Eugenio Ferrari, Lars Froehlich, Paolo Furlan Radivo, Giulio Gaio, Luca Giannessi, Maya Kiskinova, Marco Lonza, Benoit Mahieu, Claudio Masciovecchio, Ivaylo Nikolov, Fulvio Parmigiani, Emanuele Pedersoli, Giuseppe Penco, Mauro Predonzani, Emiliano Principi, Fabio Rossi, Claudio Scafuri, Claudio Serpico, Paolo Sigalotti, Simone Spampinati, Carlo Spezzani, Michele Svandrlik, Mauro Trovo, Alessandro Vascotto, Marco Veronese, Roberto Visintini, Dino Zangrando
FERMI@Elettra is the first seeded VUV/soft X-ray FEL source. It is composed of two undulatory chains: the low energy branch (FELl) covering the wavelength range from 20 nm up to 100 nm, and the high energy branch (FEL2, employing a double stage cascade), covering the wavelength range from 4 nm up to 20 nm. At the end of 2012 FELl has been opened to external users while FEL2 has been turned on for the first time having demonstrated that a double cascade scheme is suitable for generating high intensity coherent FEL radiation. In this paper we will share our experience and will show our most recent results for both FERMI FELl and FEL2 sources. We will also present a brand new machine scheme that allows to perform two-colour pump and probe experiments as well as the first experimental results.
Kirkpatrick-Baez (K-B) active X-ray optics system is a good choice for focusing the free electron laser (FEL)
pulses delivered by FERMI, the first seeded EUV-SXR FEL user facility operated at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste.
The present work reports the results obtained tuning this optical system used at the Diffraction and Projection
Imaging (DiProI) beamline in order to improve and optimize its performance in terms of quality and size of
the focal spot onto the sample controlling the fluence as well. To characterize the performance and develop
reliable and reproducible focusing procedures we performed a campaign of measurements with several diagnostic
systems, including a wavefront sensor mounted after the DiProI chamber. Online wavefront measurements have
allowed for optimizing the bending acting on the mirrors curvature and the angle positions (pitch and roll) of
the K-B system. The experimental results are compared with the predictions from simulations obtained using
the WISE code, starting from mirror actual surface metrology characterization. Filtering the Fourier transform
of the mirror surface profiles we have analyzed the impact of spatial wavelengths on the focal spot degradation.
From the wavefront measurements we have inferred a focal spot of 10 μm x 10 μm confirmed by the PMMA
ablation imprints. The results from simulations with the WISE code are in agreement with the measurements
and for different energies of the incident beam we established the threshold when the focal spot degradation is
not affected by the spatial wavelengths of the K-B mirror surfaces.
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