3D-printed sheet jet for stable megahertz liquid sample delivery at X-ray free-electron lasers

Area of Science:

• * X-ray science and instrumentation
• * Chemical and biological dynamics
• * Advanced sample delivery systems

Background:

• * X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) enable high-resolution studies of rapid reactions.
• * Conventional liquid jets face challenges like radiation-induced explosions and X-ray pointing instability.
• * These issues complicate data analysis and reduce measurement efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To demonstrate gas-accelerated liquid sheet jet sample injection at the European XFEL.
• * To evaluate its performance against conventional liquid jets for XFEL experiments.
• * To assess its suitability for high-repetition-rate XFEL applications.

Main Methods:

• * Implementation of a gas-accelerated liquid sheet jet at the SPB/SFX nano focus beamline.
• * Comparative analysis of liquid sheet jet versus conventional liquid jet performance.
• * Evaluation of jet thickness, background stability, and radiation-induced explosion dynamics.

Main Results:

• * Achieved a thickness profile from hundreds of nanometers down to 60 nm.
• * Demonstrated a fourfold increase in background stability compared to conventional jets.
• * Observed favorable radiation-induced explosion dynamics at high repetition rates (up to 1.13 MHz).

Conclusions:

• * Gas-accelerated liquid sheet jets provide enhanced stability and reduced radiation damage.
• * This technique offers a significant improvement for sample delivery in XFEL experiments.
• * Potential for ultrafast single-particle solution scattering experiments is highlighted.