Nanosecond x-ray Laue diffraction apparatus suitable for laser shock compression experiments

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Plasma Physics
• Crystallography

Background:

• Laue diffraction is a powerful technique for analyzing crystal structures.
• Generating suitable X-ray sources for rapid, single-shot diffraction experiments presents a challenge.
• Laser-produced plasmas offer a potential route to high-brightness X-ray sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a quasiwhite-light X-ray source for Laue diffraction.
• To demonstrate the capability of this source for single-shot diffraction from single crystals.
• To investigate the structural changes in laser-shocked silicon crystals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nanosecond bursts of X-rays from a laser-produced plasma containing mid-Z elements.
• Generated a quasiwhite-light X-ray spectrum with energies from 3 to over 10 keV.
• Performed single-shot nanosecond Laue diffraction on unshocked and laser-shocked silicon crystals.

Main Results:

• Successfully produced a quasiwhite-light X-ray spectrum suitable for Laue diffraction.
• Recorded bright, single-shot nanosecond diffraction patterns from single crystals.
• Obtained diffraction patterns from both unshocked and shocked silicon, indicating the method's applicability to dynamic studies.

Conclusions:

• Laser-produced plasma X-rays provide a viable source for rapid Laue diffraction.
• The developed technique is suitable for studying dynamic processes like laser-induced shock in crystals.
• Single-shot diffraction captures structural information from transient states in materials.