We have been developing a transmission soft x-ray microscope utilizing Wolter mirrors at a soft x-ray beamline of SACLA. We upgraded the soft x-ray microscope to enable simultaneous visible light imaging and soft x-ray imaging. To achieve this, we divided the annular apertures of the condenser and objective Wolter mirrors into two sections, allowing for soft x-ray imaging with one part and visible light imaging with the other. Our microscopy allows imaging cells with fluorescent labels by visible light while observing them with water window soft x-rays, which is useful for studying living cells.
Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is a widely used spectroscopic technique for analyzing elementary excitations. However, this process is inefficient and thus difficult to apply to imaging. We propose to stimulate the RIXS (SRIXS) process using a soft x-ray free-electron laser (SXFEL), increasing the photon yield by up to 6 orders of magnitude [Higley, Commun. Phys. 5 83 (2022)]. By designing a new achromatic full-field twin Wolter mirror microscope and multi-aperture grating, it should become possible to measure SRIXS by imaging the full x-ray spectrum at many spatial points simultaneously.
To test the feasibility of SRIXS imaging, we simulate the SRIXS signal strength with a three-level Maxwell-Bloch model. Using the parameters of the SACLA BL1 SXFEL, we show that SRIXS imaging is feasible, requiring a peak intensity of 1016 W/cm2 and sub-micron focus size, readily achievable with the proposed microscope.
Coherent or partially coherent X-rays have recently been utilized in beamlines at advanced synchrotron radiation facilities and X-ray free-electron lasers. Wave-optical and ray-tracing calculations are widely employed to predict intensity and phase distributions of X-ray beams when designing new beamlines. Both calculation methods have
their respective advantages and disadvantages. In this presentation, we will compare the results of calculations in optical systems that use X-ray focusing mirrors, and introduce a method for combining these two methods. Furthermore, we will discuss the applications of this method for calculating partially coherent X-rays.
KEYWORDS: X-rays, Mirrors, Signal detection, Optical properties, Signal intensity, Nonlinear optics, X-ray lasers, Signal generators, Free electron lasers
We have developed a two-stage soft X-ray focusing system at BL1 of SACLA. The system consists of two free-form mirrors, a ring focusing mirror and a quasi ellipsoidal mirror. Soft X-rays with photon energies around 120 eV can be focused down to φ350 nm. By using its unique intensity pattern after focusing, we propose a background-free signal detection method for extremely low optical signals such as SHG of soft X-ray.
High-precision monolithic mirrors are used in the soft x-ray beamlines of synchrotron radiation facilities. A figure measurement technique is essential for the fabrication of high-precision mirrors. In recent years, mirrors of various shapes have been proposed, and a versatile figure measurement technique is required. Tactile measurements are one of the most suitable methods for evaluating the figure errors of x-ray mirrors with steep and complex geometries. Because a tactile measurement probe has a wide range of measurable depths and angles and can eliminate measurement errors depending on the sample curvature, tactile measurements have been applied to the fabrication of monolithic mirrors for soft x-ray focusing. In this study, a soft x-ray focusing mirror with concave and convex freeform surfaces on its monolithic substrate was fabricated based on tactile measurements for figure correction. The high- and mid-spatial-frequency roughness were 0.14-0.17 nm and 0.8 nm in RMS, respectively. Furthermore, the figure error evaluated using the tactile measurement was 2.64 nm in RMS.
For application in the soft X-ray region, focusing mirrors having a steep shape with small radii of curvature of several tens to hundreds of millimeters and a deep sag of a few millimeters have recently been designed. These mirrors are difficult to fabricate with high accuracy owing to the challenges in figure measurement. In this study, we demonstrate the surface measurement of a flat substrate and soft X-ray Wolter mirror using a tactile profiler. The comparison with a stitching interferometry image of the flat substrate showed an agreement of mid- to high-spatial-frequency errors. The tactile measurement of the Wolter mirror exhibited a root-mean-square figure error of 2.49 nm.
A Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirror is a reflective focusing device that sequentially positions a pair of crossed mirrors in a grazing-incidence setup. Typically, this type of device offers a relatively long working distance of 20 mm or longer, which allows specimens to be installed in various configurations. However, there is a tradeoff between the long working distance and both the numerical aperture and demagnification factor, resulting in drawbacks for KB mirrors for a sub-micron focus size in a soft-X-ray region. This research explores an ultrashort KB mirror composed of 2- and 8-mm-long mirrors with focal lengths of 2 and 8 mm, respectively. Its demagnification is designed to be up to 10000 and its focus size can theoretically be below 50 nm at a photon energy of 1 keV. To demonstrate an X-ray nanoprobe based on this focusing device for X-ray microscopy, the low energy X-ray fluorescence (LEXRF) technique is incorporated into the focusing system. The aim of this LEXRF system is to observe light elements in biological specimens. After X-ray fluorescence yields were estimated, the experimental setup was examined for a forward- and side-scattering configuration. Preliminary studies examined the fluorescence detector performance and the fluorescence detection of biological and pharmaceutical specimens in the traditional backscattering configuration. Compared with diffractive focusing devices, which condense approximately 10% of the incident X-rays, the reflective ultrashort KB mirror can benefit LEXRF by more efficiently collecting X-rays to its nanoprobe, thus enhancing the fluorescence signals from specimens.
X-ray focusing optics are essential for acquiring high-quality X-ray microscopy images. Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) are conventionally used to focus soft X-rays via diffraction. The use of Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors for nanofocusing in the soft X-ray region is limited because a KB mirror is a reflective X-ray focusing optic that has a pair of perpendicular mirrors in a grazing-incidence configuration, which lowers the numerical aperture due to the long focal length. KB mirrors with a short focal length have been proposed for hard X-ray focusing. This paper presents the design of an ultrashort KB mirror for soft X-ray focusing that has an extremely short focal length, which is achieved by reducing its mirror length. Moreover, a large grazing angle is employed to utilize total-reflection-based focusing. An ultrashort KB mirror is proposed for pilot studies at beamline BL25SU-A, SPring-8, Japan. A ray-tracing simulator is used to determine the misalignment tolerance in terms of roll and yaw for each mirror in the KB geometry. Based on the results, a mirror manipulator and other equipment are designed to precisely position the mirrors. Although this strategy, commonly used for FZPs, leads to a short working distance and a small beam acceptance, we believe that it can be applied to ultrashort KB mirrors for X-ray microscopy applications with achromaticity and strong demagnification.
Focusing x-rays is a key technology for x-ray microscopic techniques. In a soft-x-ray region, focusing systems with achromaticity and a high numerical aperture have long been desired as a substitute for Fresnel zone plates. Ellipsoidal mirrors are promising focusing optics for such systems. However, two technical problems have to be overcome to allow practical application of these mirrors: their low efficiency due to their hollow shapes and strict requirements for their alignment. A novel focusing system using two reflective mirrors was proposed for this purpose. The downstream mirror is a quasi-Wolter mirror with a hollow shape similar to an ellipsoidal mirror and has a high numerical aperture of more than 0.1. The tolerance of the setting angle error of the quasi-Wolter mirror is significantly large compared to that of the ellipsoidal mirror because a quasi-Wolter mirror reflects the incident rays twice. The upstream mirror is a ring-focusing mirror, which produces an x-ray beam with a ring-shaped intensity profile, ensuring the entire beam reflects onto the quasi-Wolter mirror and reaches the focus of the system. The proposed system is ideal for soft-x-ray focusing. The design procedure and formulas are described in the present study. A prototype of the system is designed for BL25SU-A of SPring- 8. The ideal focusing spot size is estimated by numerical simulation to be 10 nm at 300 eV. The influence of alignment errors of the two mirrors is also simulated and summarized.
A one-dimensional two-stage focusing system using two deformable mirrors was constructed. To realize the precise
elliptical shapes, the mirror deformations were finely adjusted using the pencil-beam scan, which is a method of
wavefront measurement. X-rays of 10 keV energy were one-dimensionally focused to a full width at half maximum of
90 nm, which agrees well with the diffraction limit.
To construct an adaptive X-ray focusing optical system, we developed an ultraprecise deformable mirror that consists of a substrate, piezoelectric actuators, and 18 electrodes. A one-dimensional focusing test was performed at SPring-8 at 15 keV. The mirror deformation was roughly adjusted by applying voltages determined by a deformation test with a Fizeau interferometer. The shape was then finely corrected based on the shape determined by the pencil-beam method and the phase retrieval method. A focused beam with a full width at half maximum of 120 nm was obtained.
In the hard X-ray region, to obtain the theoretical resolution or diffraction limited focusing size in an imaging optical
system, both ultraprecise optics and highly accurate alignment are necessary. An adaptive optical system is used for
the compensation of aberrations in various optical systems, such as optical microscopes and space telescopes. In situ
wavefront control of hard X-rays is also effective for realizing ideal performance. The aim of this paper is to develop
an adaptive optical system for sub-10nm hard X-ray focusing. The adaptive optical system performs the wavefront
measurement using a phase retrieval algorithm and wavefront control using grazing incidence deformable mirrors.
Several results of experiments using the developed system are reported.
To realize achromatic full-field hard X-ray microscopy with a resolution better than 100 nm, we studied an imaging
system consisting of an elliptical mirror and a hyperbolic mirror. The figure accuracies of the elliptical and hyperbolic
mirrors required to obtain diffraction-limited resolution were investigated using a wave-optical simulator, and then
elliptical and hyperbolic mirrors were precisely fabricated, following the criterion of the figure accuracies. Experiments
to form a demagnified image of a one-dimensional slit installed 45 m upstream were conducted using the imaging system
at an X-ray energy of 11.5 keV at BL29XUL of SPring-8. The system could form a demagnified image with the best
resolution of 78 nm. In addition, the field of view to obtain a resolution better than 200 nm was 4.2 micron.
A spin current carries spin angular momentum in a spintronics device. Its interaction with a magnetic nanostructure not only gives rise to spin-dependent transport but also excites dynamics in the magnetic state. Unlike the spin-polarized electrical current, a pure spin current is useful for both fundamental and applied research because neither Oersted fields nor electrical current-related spurious effects are produced. Nonlocal electrical spin injection is a feasible way to produce the pure spin current. Here we demonstrate that the nonlocal spin valve signal is increased by an order of magnitude by improving the interface quality in a new device structure using a clean, in situ fabrication process. The generated pure spin current enables the magnetization reversal of a nanomagnet as efficiently as electrical current-induced magnetization switching. These results will open the door towards the realization of a pure-spin-current-driven device.
We describe the fabrication of a long mirror for focusing X-ray free electron lasers to nanometer dimension, for the production of high photon density beams. The focusing mirror has an elliptical curved shape with a length of 400 mm and focal length of 550 mm. Electrolytic in-process dressing grinding is used for first-step figuring and elastic emission machining is employed for final figuring and surface smoothing. Figure accuracy with a peak-to-valley height of 2 nm is achieved. A focusing test was performed at BL29XUL of SPring-8 and found the focused beam size to be approximately
75 nm at 15 keV, very similar to the theoretical value.
We present the development of a phase compensator for wavefront control of X-rays. The optical device is a 150 mm-long
total reflection mirror, the shape of which can be curved by adjusting the bias voltages of 36 piezoelectric ceramic
plates attached to the mirror. The mirror surface was smoothed and made flat by elastic emission machining. To achieve
a high degree of the accuracy in the controllability of a curved line, a Fizeau interferometer is placed in front of the
mirror surface to monitor its shape in the experiment. We will apply this device to the optical system for the realization
of sub-10-nm hard X-ray focusing.
Extremely high surface figure accuracy is required for hard x-ray nanofocusing mirrors to realize an ideal spherical
wavefront in a reflected x-ray beam. We performed the figure correction of an elliptically figured mirror by a differential
deposition technique on the basis of the wavefront phase error, which was calculated by a phase-retrieval method using
only intensity profile on the focal plane. The measurements of the intensity profiles were performed at the 1-km-long
beamline at SPring-8. The two measurements before and after the figure correction indicate that the beamwaist structure
around the focal point is greatly improved.
Nanofocused X-rays are indispensable because they can provide high spatial resolution and high sensitivity for X-ray
nanoscopy/spectroscopy. A focusing system with reflective optics is one of the most promising methods for producing
nanofocused X-rays due to its high efficiency and beams size. So, far we realize efficient hard X-ray focusing with a
beam size of 25nm. Our next project is realization of sub-10nm hard X-ray focusing. Here, we describe the design of
the graded multilayer mirror and evaluation method for hard X-ray focused beam.
Roman Antos, Martin Veis, Eva Liskova, Mitsuru Aoyama, Jaroslav Hamrle, Takashi Kimura, Pavol Gustafik, Masahiro Horie, Jan Mistrik, Tomuo Yamaguchi, Stefan Visnovsky, Naomichi Okamoto
Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and magneto-optical (MO) spectroscopy are applied to analyze three sets of shallow magnetic gratings. The experimental data of SE are used to extract geometrical parameters of several samples. A half-micrometer thick transparent interlayer present between the periodic magnetic wires and the substrate in one of the sets of the samples is used to increase the sensitivity of SE and MO measurements. Thanks to this sensitivity the geometrical parameters can be extracted together with the material composition of the magnetic film. In order to interpret the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurement, three theoretical approaches are used in the simulations, the rigorous coupled-wave method (CWM), the local mode method (LMM), and a new approach based on comparing CWM with LMM with defining a 'quality factor' of the grating with respect to the wire edges. Using the MOKE spectra in the 0th and -1st diffraction orders, one set of the samples made with a protection capping is analyzed with respect to the native-oxidation process. The quality factor of these samples is extracted from MOKE in the -1st diffraction order for p-polarized incidence. The monitoring system based on both SE and MOKE is rated as highly sensitive and precise, and with accurate determination of the optical and magneto-optical constants it could by applied in multi-parameter fitting.
The design and construction of an efficient near-infrared holosteric optical parametric oscillator amplifier based on KTiOPO4 (KTP) crystal are reported. The system is tunable from 840 to 1451 nm and generates up to 0.45 mJ at 920 nm with 27% efficiency in 4 - 6 ns pulses. The 532 nm pump source is a frequency doubled laser-diode pumped Nd:YAG laser producing up to 2 mJ in 8 ns, 50 Hz pulses. We have used the system to study the fluorescence lifetimes of Yb:YAG and Yb:glass as a function of wavelength. The data reveal interesting variations in the reabsorption enhanced Yb-ion lifetime. Some Yb:YAG samples exhibiting a sharp increase in their lifetime near the peak absorption wavelengths. The longest lifetime measured in a few mm thick sample of Yb:YAG was 3.3 ms, which would be highly beneficial for energy storage applications using laser diodes.
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