Characterization of the transverse coherence of hard synchrotron radiation by intensity interferometry

The transverse coherence of x rays was measured with an intensity interferometer using a 120-microeV-bandwidth monochromator operating at 14.41 keV. By analyzing the transverse coherence profiles, a vertical source profile of a 25-m long undulator of SPring-8, as well as the coherence degradation by a phase object in the beam path, were quantitatively characterized.     

Dynamics of Photoelectrons and Structural Changes of Tungsten Trioxide Observed by Femtosecond Transient XAFS

The dynamics of the local electronic and geometric structures of WO₃ following photoexcitation were studied by femtosecond time‐resolved X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy using an X‐ray free electron laser (XFEL). We found that the electronic state was the first to change followed by the local structure, which was affected within 200 ps of photoexcitation.     

Measurement of x-ray pulse widths by intensity interferometry

The pulse width of hard undulator radiation (32 ps width, energy 14 keV) was determined by intensity interferometry. The method, in combination with various x-ray monochromators, enables measurements to be taken over a wide range of time frames, from ns to fs. The applicable target includes measurements of ultrafast x-ray pulse widths from fourth generation synchrotron light sources.     

Evidence for suppressed screening on the surface of high temperature La(2-x)SrxCuO4 and Nd2(2-x)CexCuO4 superconductors

Hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (PES) of Cu core electronic states, with a probing depth of approximately 60 A, is used to show that the Zhang-Rice singlet feature is present in La2CuO4 but is absent in Nd2CuO4. Hole and electron doping in La(2-x)SrxCuO4 (LSCO) and Nd(2-x)CexCuO4 (NCCO) result in new well-screened features which are missing in soft x-ray PES. Impurity Anderson model calculations establish screening from doped states as its origin, which is strongly suppressed within 15 A of the surface. Complemented with x-ray absorption spectroscopy, the small chemical-potential shift in core levels (approximately 0.2 eV) are shown to be consistent with modifications of valence and conduction band states spanning the band gap (approximately 1 eV) upon hole and electron doping in LSCO and NCCO.     

Observation of free-electron-laser-induced collective spontaneous emission (superfluorescence)

We have observed and characterized 501.6 nm collective spontaneous emission (superfluorescence) following 1s(2) → 1s3p excitation of helium atoms by 53.7 nm free-electron laser radiation. Emitted pulse energies of up to 100 nJ are observed, corresponding to a photon number conversion efficiency of up to 10%. We observe the peak intensity to scale as ρ(2) and the emitted pulse width and delay to scale as ρ(-1), where ρ is the atom number density. Emitted pulses as short as 1 ps are observed, which corresponds to a rate around 75,000 times faster than the spontaneous 1s3p → 1s2s decay rate. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of superfluorescence following pumping in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength region, and extension of the technique to the generation of extreme ultraviolet and x-ray superfluorescence pulses should be straightforward by using suitable atomic systems and pump wavelengths.