A novel free-electron laser single-pulse Wollaston polarimeter for magneto-dynamical studies

Here, we report on the conceptual design, the hardware realization, and the first experimental results of a novel and compact x-ray polarimeter capable of a single-pulse linear polarization angle detection in the extreme ultraviolet photon energy range. The polarimeter is tested by performing time resolved pump-probe experiments on a Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ Permalloy film at the M_2,3 Ni edge at an externally seeded free-electron laser source. Comparison with similar experiments reported in the literature shows the advantages of our approach also in view of future experiments.