Single-shot diffractive imaging with a table-top femtosecond soft x-ray laser-harmonics source

Area of Science:

• Nanoscale imaging
• Ultrafast X-ray science
• Coherent diffractive imaging

Background:

• Coherent X-ray diffractive imaging (CXDI) is crucial for nanoscale nonperiodic structure analysis.
• Studying femtosecond dynamics requires single-shot diffraction data, traditionally from free electron lasers.
• Existing methods are limited by the cost and accessibility of intense coherent X-ray sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate laser-driven ultrashort X-ray sources as a cost-effective alternative for single-shot CXDI.
• To enable femtosecond dynamics studies using accessible X-ray sources.
• To achieve high-resolution imaging from single and multiple diffraction events.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a table-top high-harmonic X-ray laser generating 20 fs pulses.
• Acquired single-shot diffraction patterns from isolated nano-objects.
• Reconstructed images from diffraction data using computational methods.

Main Results:

• Successfully obtained single-shot diffraction patterns from nano-objects.
• Achieved image reconstruction with 119 nm resolution from single-shot data.
• Attained 62 nm resolution when analyzing multiple-shot data.

Conclusions:

• Laser-driven ultrashort X-ray sources are a viable and economical alternative to free electron lasers for CXDI.
• This technology facilitates high-resolution, time-resolved nanoscale imaging.
• Opens new possibilities for studying ultrafast phenomena in physics, chemistry, and biology.