Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
10:39
Measurement of X-ray Beam Coherence along Multiple Directions Using 2-D Checkerboard Phase Grating
Published on: October 11, 2016
9.1K
Coherent control of pulsed X-ray beams
M F DeCamp1, D A Reis, P H Bucksbaum
1Department of Physics and FOCUS Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. mattydee@umich.edu
Nature
|October 26, 2001
Summary
Researchers developed a new method for ultrafast X-ray modulation using acoustic pulses in crystals. This technique enables efficient switching of synchrotron beams on nanosecond timescales for atomic-scale motion studies.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Optics
Background:
- Synchrotrons generate rapid X-ray pulses essential for studying atomic motion.
- Current methods for modulating these X-ray beams are often not fast enough for ultrafast timescales (nanoseconds to femtoseconds).
- A need exists for efficient ultrafast X-ray modulators compatible with synchrotron sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate efficient subnanosecond coherent switching of synchrotron X-ray beams.
- To explore the use of acoustic pulses within crystals for X-ray modulation.
- To investigate novel techniques for ultrafast X-ray manipulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized acoustic pulses generated within a crystal to modulate the anomalous low-loss transmission of X-ray pulses.
- Employed a crystal to transfer energy between two X-ray beams on timescales shorter than the synchrotron pulse width (approx. 100 ps).
- Investigated geometric arrangements, including colliding counter-propagating acoustic pulses, to enhance modulation frequency and probe transient strain.
Main Results:
- Achieved efficient subnanosecond coherent switching of synchrotron X-ray beams.
- Demonstrated gigahertz modulation of diffracted X-rays.
- Observed a doubling of X-ray modulation frequency using colliding acoustic pulses, enabling localized transient strain observation.
Conclusions:
- Acoustic modulation of X-ray transmission offers a viable method for ultrafast synchrotron beam manipulation.
- The developed techniques show potential for scaling to subpicosecond pulse generation via laser-induced phonon modulation.
- This advancement provides an alternative to existing ultrafast X-ray capabilities, which are typically limited to laser-generated sources or X-ray streak cameras.
Related Concept Videos
01:24X-ray Imaging
7.7K
German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) was experimenting with electrical current when he discovered that a mysterious and invisible "ray" would pass through his flesh but leave an outline of his bones on a screen coated with a metal compound. In 1895, Röntgen made the first durable record of the internal parts of a living human: an "X-ray" image (as it came to be called) of his wife’s hand. Scientists worldwide quickly began their own experiments with...
7.7K
01:27Controlled-Current Coulometry: Overview
900
Controlled current coulometry, also known as amperostatic coulometry, is a technique used in electrochemical analysis to measure the quantity of a substance through the controlled passage of current. It involves the application of a constant current to an electrochemical cell containing the analyte of interest. As the current flows through the cell, the analyte undergoes a redox reaction at the electrode surface, resulting in a charge transfer. By monitoring the time required for a certain...
900