Long-Duration Soft X-Ray Pulses by XeCl Laser Driven Plasmas and Applications.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Biophysics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Soft x-ray plasma sources are crucial for advanced imaging and lithography.
• Characterizing these sources is essential for optimizing their performance and applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize a soft x-ray plasma source generated by a long-pulse XeCl excimer laser.
• To investigate the potential applications of this source, including biological imaging and lithography.

Main Methods:

• Generation of plasma using a 4 J, 308 nm, 100-ns XeCl excimer laser pulse.
• Spectroscopic analysis of x-ray emission using a double focusing spectrometer with a spherical mica crystal.
• Soft x-ray contact microscopy for imaging whole, intact living cells.

Main Results:

• Estimated radiation intensity on target: 4 × 10^12 W cm^-2.
• Determined plasma temperature and electron density from emission spectra.
• Acquired first images of whole, intact living cells using soft x-ray contact microscopy in the 'water window' (280-530 eV).

Conclusions:

• The characterized soft x-ray plasma source is suitable for high-resolution biological imaging.
• The source shows promise for applications in x-ray lithography and radiation damage studies on living cells.
• Potential improvements for the x-ray source are proposed to enhance its utility for various applications.