Multiframe X-ray diffraction on the OMEGA EP laser

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• High-Pressure Physics

Background:

• Dynamic compression experiments are crucial for understanding material behavior under extreme conditions.
• Previous methods lacked the temporal resolution to capture rapid phase transformations.
• Laser-driven compression offers a unique pathway to achieve high pressures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel method for time-resolved X-ray diffraction during single-shot dynamic compression.
• To capture and analyze ultrafast phase transitions at the lattice level.
• To provide new data for constraining equations of state and understanding material kinetics.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the OMEGA EP laser for dynamic compression experiments.
• Employed an ultrafast X-ray framing camera to collect multiple time-gated diffraction snapshots.
• Achieved 400-ps temporal resolution with potential for 200-ps resolution and broad 2θ scattering angle coverage.

Main Results:

• Successfully measured multiple temporally resolved powder X-ray diffraction patterns in a single laser shot.
• Observed the transformation to a high-pressure β phase in ramp-compressed zirconium (Zr).
• Constrained the atomic structure and pressure-density equation-of-state of Zr under dynamic compression.

Conclusions:

• The developed X-ray diffraction platform enables in-situ study of phase transformations under single-shot dynamic compression.
• This technique is vital for constraining transition pressures and understanding kinetics, hysteresis, and metastability.
• Provides a powerful tool for validating material models and exploring fundamental physics at extreme conditions.