Subnanometer-scale measurements of the interaction of ultrafast soft x-ray free-electron-laser pulses with matter.
At the recently built FLASH x-ray free-electron laser, we studied the reflectivity of Si/C multilayers with fluxes up to 3 x 10(14) W/cm2. Even though the nanostructures were ultimately completely destroyed, we found that they maintained their integrity and reflectance characteristics during the 25-fs-long pulse, with no evidence for any structural changes over lengths greater than 3 A. This experiment demonstrates that with intense ultrafast pulses, structural damage does not occur during the pulse, giving credence to the concept of diffraction imaging of single macromolecules.
Hau-Riege
Stefan P
SP
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
Chapman
Henry N
HN
Krzywinski
Jacek
J
Sobierajski
Ryszard
R
Bajt
Sasa
S
London
Richard A
RA
Bergh
Magnus
M
Caleman
Carl
C
Nietubyc
Robert
R
Juha
Libor
L
Kuba
Jaroslav
J
Spiller
Eberhard
E
Baker
Sherry
S
Bionta
Richard
R
Sokolowski Tinten
K
K
Stojanovic
Nikola
N
Kjornrattanawanich
Benjawan
B
Gullikson
Eric
E
Plönjes
Elke
E
Toleikis
Sven
S
Tschentscher
Thomas
T