Unexpected Observation of Disorder and Multiple Phase-Transition Pathways in Shock-Compressed Zr.

The response of materials under dynamic compression involves a complex interplay of various deformation mechanisms aimed at relieving shear stresses, yielding a remarkable diversity in material behavior. In this Letter, we utilize femtosecond x-ray diffraction coupled with nanosecond laser compression to reveal an intricate competition between multiple shear-relieving mechanisms within an elemental metal. Our observations in shocked-compressed single-crystal Zr indicate a disorder-mediated shear relaxation at lower pressures.

Release dynamics of nanodiamonds created by laser-driven shock-compression of polyethylene terephthalate.

Laser-driven dynamic compression experiments of plastic materials have found surprisingly fast formation of nanodiamonds (ND) via X-ray probing. This mechanism is relevant for planetary models, but could also open efficient synthesis routes for tailored NDs. We investigate the release mechanics of compressed NDs by molecular dynamics simulation of the isotropic expansion of finite size diamond from different P-T states.

Evidence for phonon hardening in laser-excited gold using x-ray diffraction at a hard x-ray free electron laser.

Studies of laser-heated materials on femtosecond timescales have shown that the interatomic potential can be perturbed at sufficiently high laser intensities. For gold, it has been postulated to undergo a strong stiffening leading to an increase of the phonon energies, known as phonon hardening. Despite efforts to investigate this behavior, only measurements at low absorbed energy density have been performed, for which the interpretation of the experimental data remains ambiguous.

Ultrafast x-ray detection of low-spin iron in molten silicate under deep planetary interior conditions.

The spin state of Fe can alter the key physical properties of silicate melts, affecting the early differentiation and the dynamic stability of the melts in the deep rocky planets. The low-spin state of Fe can increase the affinity of Fe for the melt over the solid phases and the electrical conductivity of melt at high pressures. However, the spin state of Fe has never been measured in dense silicate melts due to experimental challenges.

Investigating mechanisms of state localization in highly ionized dense plasmas.

We present experimental observations of K_{β} emission from highly charged Mg ions at solid density, driven by intense x rays from a free electron laser. The presence of K_{β} emission indicates the n=3 atomic shell is relocalized for high charge states, providing an upper constraint on the depression of the ionization potential. We explore the process of state relocalization in dense plasmas from first principles using finite-temperature density functional theory alongside a wave-function localization metric, and find excellent agreement with experimental results.

Simultaneous bright- and dark-field X-ray microscopy at X-ray free electron lasers.

The structures, strain fields, and defect distributions in solid materials underlie the mechanical and physical properties across numerous applications. Many modern microstructural microscopy tools characterize crystal grains, domains and defects required to map lattice distortions or deformation, but are limited to studies of the (near) surface. Generally speaking, such tools cannot probe the structural dynamics in a way that is representative of bulk behavior.

Direct LiF imaging diagnostics on refractive X-ray focusing at the EuXFEL High Energy Density instrument.

The application of fluorescent crystal media in wide-range X-ray detectors provides an opportunity to directly image the spatial distribution of ultra-intense X-ray beams including investigation of the focal spot of free-electron lasers. Here the capabilities of the micro- and nano-focusing X-ray refractive optics available at the High Energy Density instrument of the European XFEL are reported, as measured in situ by means of a LiF fluorescent detector placed into and around the beam caustic. The intensity distribution of the beam focused down to several hundred nanometers was imaged at 9 keV photon energy.

Novel fabrication tools for dynamic compression targets with engineered voids using photolithography methods.

Mesoscale imperfections, such as pores and voids, can strongly modify the properties and the mechanical response of materials under extreme conditions. Tracking the material response and microstructure evolution during void collapse is crucial for understanding its performance. In particular, imperfections in the ablator materials, such as voids, can limit the efficiency of the fusion reaction and ultimately hinder ignition.

Multi-frame, ultrafast, x-ray microscope for imaging shockwave dynamics.

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) holds increasing promise as a potential source of abundant, clean energy, but has been impeded by defects such as micro-voids in the ablator layer of the fuel capsules. It is critical to understand how these micro-voids interact with the laser-driven shock waves that compress the fuel pellet. At the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), we utilized an x-ray pulse train with ns separation, an x-ray microscope, and an ultrafast x-ray imaging (UXI) detector to image shock wave interactions with micro-voids.

Diamond formation kinetics in shock-compressed C─H─O samples recorded by small-angle x-ray scattering and x-ray diffraction.

Extreme conditions inside ice giants such as Uranus and Neptune can result in peculiar chemistry and structural transitions, e.g., the precipitation of diamonds or superionic water, as so far experimentally observed only for pure C─H and HO systems, respectively.

Femtosecond Visualization of hcp-Iron Strength and Plasticity under Shock Compression.

Iron is a key constituent of planets and an important technological material. Here, we combine in situ ultrafast x-ray diffraction with laser-induced shock compression experiments on Fe up to 187(10) GPa and 4070(285) K at 10^{8}  s^{-1} in strain rate to study the plasticity of hexagonal-close-packed (hcp)-Fe under extreme loading states. {101[over ¯]2} deformation twinning controls the polycrystalline Fe microstructures and occurs within 1 ns, highlighting the fundamental role of twinning in hcp polycrystals deformation at high strain rates.

Ronchi shearing interferometry for wavefronts with circular symmetry.

Ronchi testing of a focused electromagnetic wave has in the last few years been used extensively at X-ray free-electron laser (FEL) facilities to qualitatively evaluate the wavefront of the beam. It is a quick and straightforward test, is easy to interpret on the fly, and can be used to align phase plates that correct the focus of aberrated beams. In general, a single Ronchigram is not sufficient to gain complete quantitative knowledge of the wavefront.

Evidence of shock-compressed stishovite above 300 GPa.

SiO is one of the most fundamental constituents in planetary bodies, being an essential building block of major mineral phases in the crust and mantle of terrestrial planets (1-10 M). Silica at depths greater than 300 km may be present in the form of the rutile-type, high pressure polymorph stishovite (P4/mnm) and its thermodynamic stability is of great interest for understanding the seismic and dynamic structure of planetary interiors. Previous studies on stishovite via static and dynamic (shock) compression techniques are contradictory and the observed differences in the lattice-level response is still not clearly understood.

In situ X-ray diffraction of silicate liquids and glasses under dynamic and static compression to megabar pressures.

Properties of liquid silicates under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions are critical for modeling the dynamics and solidification mechanisms of the magma ocean in the early Earth, as well as for constraining entrainment of melts in the mantle and in the present-day core-mantle boundary. Here we present in situ structural measurements by X-ray diffraction of selected amorphous silicates compressed statically in diamond anvil cells (up to 157 GPa at room temperature) or dynamically by laser-generated shock compression (up to 130 GPa and 6,000 K along the MgSiO glass Hugoniot). The X-ray diffraction patterns of silicate glasses and liquids reveal similar characteristics over a wide pressure and temperature range.

Shock drive capabilities of a 30-Joule laser at the matter in extreme conditions hutch of the Linac Coherent Light Source.

We measure the shock drive capabilities of a 30 J, nanosecond, 527 nm laser system at the matter in extreme conditions hutch of the Linac Coherent Light Source. Using a velocity interferometer system for any reflector, we ascertain the maximum instantaneous ablation pressure and characterize its dependence on a drive laser spot size, spatial profile, and temporal profile. We also examine the effects of these parameters on shock spatial and temporal uniformity.

Focal Spot and Wavefront Sensing of an X-Ray Free Electron laser using Ronchi shearing interferometry.

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is an X-ray source of unmatched brilliance, that is advancing many scientific fields at a rapid pace. The highest peak intensities that are routinely produced at LCLS take place at the Coherent X-ray Imaging (CXI) instrument, which can produce spotsize at the order of 100 nm, and such spotsizes and intensities are crucial for experiments ranging from coherent diffractive imaging, non-linear x-ray optics and high field physics, and single molecule imaging. Nevertheless, a full characterisation of this beam has up to now not been performed.

Perfect X-ray focusing via fitting corrective glasses to aberrated optics.

Due to their short wavelength, X-rays can in principle be focused down to a few nanometres and below. At the same time, it is this short wavelength that puts stringent requirements on X-ray optics and their metrology. Both are limited by today's technology.

The phase-contrast imaging instrument at the matter in extreme conditions endstation at LCLS.

We describe the phase-contrast imaging instrument at the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) endstation of the Linac Coherent Light Source. The instrument can image phenomena with a spatial resolution of a few hundreds of nanometers and at the same time reveal the atomic structure through X-ray diffraction, with a temporal resolution better than 100 fs. It was specifically designed for studies relevant to high-energy-density science and can monitor, e.

Compound refractive lenses as prefocusing optics for X-ray FEL radiation.

The performance of X-ray free-electron laser beamlines may be limited by the angular aperture. Compound refractive lenses (CRLs) can be employed to prefocus the X-ray beam, thereby increasing the beamline transmission. A prefocusing CRL was implemented in the X-ray transport of the Matter under Extreme Conditions Instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source.

Imaging Shock Waves in Diamond with Both High Temporal and Spatial Resolution at an XFEL.

The advent of hard x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has opened up a variety of scientific opportunities in areas as diverse as atomic physics, plasma physics, nonlinear optics in the x-ray range, and protein crystallography. In this article, we access a new field of science by measuring quantitatively the local bulk properties and dynamics of matter under extreme conditions, in this case by using the short XFEL pulse to image an elastic compression wave in diamond. The elastic wave was initiated by an intense optical laser pulse and was imaged at different delay times after the optical pump pulse using magnified x-ray phase-contrast imaging.

The Matter in Extreme Conditions instrument at the Linac Coherent Light Source.

The LCLS beam provides revolutionary capabilities for studying the transient behavior of matter in extreme conditions. The particular strength of the Matter in Extreme Conditions instrument is that it combines the unique LCLS beam with high-power optical laser beams, and a suite of dedicated diagnostics tailored for this field of science. In this paper an overview of the beamline, the capabilities of the instrumentation, and selected highlights of experiments and commissioning results are presented.

Bent crystal spectrometer for both frequency and wavenumber resolved x-ray scattering at a seeded free-electron laser.

We present a cylindrically curved GaAs x-ray spectrometer with energy resolution ΔE/E = 1.1 × 10(-4) and wave-number resolution of Δk/k = 3 × 10(-3), allowing plasmon scattering at the resolution limits of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) x-ray free-electron laser. It spans scattering wavenumbers of 3.

Damage investigation on tungsten and diamond diffractive optics at a hard x-ray free-electron laser.

Focusing hard x-ray free-electron laser radiation with extremely high fluence sets stringent demands on the x-ray optics. Any material placed in an intense x-ray beam is at risk of being damaged. Therefore, it is crucial to find the damage thresholds for focusing optics.

Full spatial characterization of a nanofocused x-ray free-electron laser beam by ptychographic imaging.

The emergence of hard X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) enables new insights into many fields of science. These new sources provide short, highly intense, and coherent X-ray pulses. In a variety of scientific applications these pulses need to be strongly focused.

Ronchi test for characterization of nanofocusing optics at a hard x-ray free-electron laser.

We demonstrate the use of the classical Ronchi test to characterize aberrations in focusing optics at a hard x-ray free-electron laser. A grating is placed close to the focus and the interference between the different orders after the grating is observed in the far field. Any aberrations in the beam or the optics will distort the interference fringes.