Relativistic ultrafast electron diffraction at high repetition rates.

Area of Science:

• Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED)
• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Biology

Background:

• Resolving matter dynamics at native scales is a key challenge across scientific disciplines.
• Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) is a leading technique for observing atomic motions.
• Current UED instruments are limited by low average beam currents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the technical design and capabilities of the HiRES (High Repetition-rate Electron Scattering) instrument.
• To demonstrate a significant improvement in average beam current for UED experiments.
• To showcase the potential for novel UED experiments with enhanced capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Development of the HiRES instrument, combining relativistic electrons and high repetition rates.
• Utilizing a novel electron source for femtosecond electron pulses at MHz repetition rates.
• Demonstrating instrument response function of sub-500 fs.

Main Results:

• Achieved orders of magnitude improvement in average beam current compared to state-of-the-art instruments.
• Demonstrated sub-500 fs instrument response function, with future targets of < 100 fs time resolution.
• Showcased micro- and nanodiffraction capabilities with a 100 nm beam size.

Conclusions:

• The HiRES instrument offers unprecedented capabilities for UED experiments.
• Enables higher resolution studies of atomic motions in various states of matter.
• Opens new avenues for exploring ultrafast phenomena in chemistry, biology, and materials science.