PhotonDiag2017 workshop: introductory overview

Introductory overview to the special issue papers from the PhotonDiag2017 workshop.

Non-invasive online wavelength measurements at FLASH2 and present benchmark

The commissioning and the first year of operation of the online photoionization spectrometer OPIS at FLASH2 is reported.

A compact and versatile tender X-ray single-shot spectrometer for online XFEL diagnostics

A single-shot spectrometer for the tender X-ray range is presented, based on the von Hamos geometry and using elastic scattering as a fingerprint of the XFEL-produced spectrum.

Performance of a hard X-ray split-and-delay optical system with a wavefront division

The performance of a hard X-ray split-and-delay optical system with a wavefront division scheme has been investigated at SACLA.

FLASH free-electron laser single-shot temporal diagnostic: terahertz-field-driven streaking

The installation and commissioning of a pulse length diagnostic setup at FLASH based on terahertz streaking is reported.

Characterization of ultrafast free-electron laser pulses using extreme-ultraviolet transient gratings

The advent of ultra-short extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray free-electron laser (FEL) sources able to produce high peak brightness and sub-picosecond pulses requires novel time-domain diagnostics to provide temporal information on the emitted pulse duration. Here the successful implementation of an autocorrelation method to determine the FEL–FEL pulse duration based on an EUV transient grating is reported.

THz pulse doubler at FLASH: double pulses for pump–probe experiments at X-ray FELs

Double electron bunch lasing at an X-ray free-electron laser for temporal overlap in pump–probe experiments is presented.

Timing methodologies and studies at the FERMI free-electron laser

A description of the novel timing methodologies developed at the FERMI FEL facility is given.

Grating configurations to compress free-electron laser pulses

Grating configurations for compressing free-electron-laser pulses are discussed.

Electron and photon diagnostics for plasma acceleration-based FELs

A review of the electron and photon diagnostics presently available on laser plasma acceleration (LPA) beamlines, and especially on those targeting FEL applications, is given. Diagnostics issues related to the special LPA environment/properties are also addressed.

Single-shot arrival timing diagnostics for a soft X-ray free-electron laser beamline at SACLA

Arrival timing diagnostics between soft X-ray free-electron laser and synchronized optical laser pulses were performed at SACLA BL1.

Laser power meters as an X-ray power diagnostic for LCLS-II

Laser power meters are being developed as a compact X-ray power diagnostic for LCLS-II and are characterized for their responsivity, linearity and vacuum compatibility. The power meters are calibrated against X-ray photodiodes and a gas monitor detector.

Experimental study of EUV mirror radiation damage resistance under long-term free-electron laser exposures below the single-shot damage threshold

An experimental study of the durability of extreme UV optical coatings to a large number of free-electron laser pulses is reported.

Damage thresholds for blaze diffraction gratings and grazing incidence optics at an X-ray free-electron laser

The damage threshold of diffraction gratings and X-ray coatings have been studied using X-ray FEL radiation.

Gratings for synchrotron and FEL beamlines: a project for the manufacture of ultra-precise gratings at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin

Establishing a facility for the production of gratings for synchrotron and free-electron laser applications is reported.

Efficient high-order suppression system for a metrology beamline

An efficient high-order suppression system has been developed and included in the optics beamline in BESSY-II synchrotron sources. The design of the instrument and its performance in suppressing high-order diffraction from the monochromator grating are described in this paper.

Nanofocusing with aberration-corrected rotationally parabolic refractive X-ray lenses

The recovery of wavefront distortions over multiple compound refractive optics was used to model and correct aberrations of similar individual Be lenses for different X-ray energies and focal lengths.

Coatings for FEL optics: preparation and characterization of B₄C and Pt

Boron carbide and platinum are two suitable coating materials for X-ray mirrors at free-electron lasers worldwide. The achieved thickness uniformity for boron carbide is less than 1 nm peak-to-valley over 1500 mm mirror length.

X-ray beam-shaping via deformable mirrors: surface profile and point spread function computation for Gaussian beams using physical optics

A method to obtain the deformation profile to be imparted to an X-ray mirror in order to turn a Gaussian intensity distribution into any assigned point spread function, and how to easily check the result using physical optics.

Double-grating monochromatic beamline with ultrafast response for FLASH2 at DESY

The preliminary design of a monochromatic beamline for FLASH2 at DESY is discussed.

Diffraction gratings metrology and ray-tracing results for an XUV Raman spectrometer at FLASH

Investigations of the diffraction gratings for the high-resolution XUV Raman spectrometer at FLASH via both ex situ and in situ metrology and ray tracing.

Direct experimental observation of the gas density depression effect using a two-bunch X-ray FEL beam

Direct experimental observation of the gas density depression effect by performing an X-ray-pump/X-ray-probe measurement using a two-bunch X-ray FEL beam is presented.

In situ electrochemical synchrotron radiation for Li-ion batteries

In situ or in operando electrochemical synchrotron radiation measurement provides high impact information on studies of bulk materials and the interface in a lithium ion battery. The key compound of the measurements is the in situ or in operando spectroelectrochemical cell.

Transient thermal stress wave and vibrational analyses of a thin diamond crystal for X-ray free-electron lasers under high-repetition-rate operation

Transient thermal stress wave and vibrational analyses of energy transfer mechanisms and structural dynamics in a thin diamond crystal under X-ray FEL operation are presented.

Pulse-resolved intensity measurements at a hard X-ray FEL using semi-transparent diamond detectors

Intensity monitors for high-intensity X-ray pulses based on diamond plates with beryllium and graphite electrodes are presented.

An IAEA multi-technique X-ray spectrometry endstation at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste: benchmarking results and interdisciplinary applications

A broad overview of the various analytical capabilities, intrinsic features and performance figures of the IAEA X-ray spectrometry endstation operated at the X-ray Fluorescence beamline of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste is given, and different applications are demonstrated to familiarize the user community with the applicable intersdisciplinary research.

Fast X-ray reflectivity measurements using an X-ray pixel area detector at the DiffAbs beamline, Synchrotron SOLEIL

A method for rapid measurement of X-ray reflectivity using an area detector and a monochromatic X-ray beam, combined with a continuous data acquisition mode during the angular movements of the sample and detector, is described.

Lead apatites: structural variations among Pb₅(BO₄)₃Cl with B = P (pyromorphite), As (mimetite) and V (vanadinite)

High-resolution powder X-ray diffraction is a powerful technique that can be used to obtain reliable structural parameters on highly crystalline minerals including samples with highly absorbing atoms such as lead.

X-ray natural circular dichroism in langasite crystal

The X-ray natural circular dichroism of langasite crystal La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ near the Ga K-edge is described in terms of the gyration tensor formalism. The experimental spectra are compared with the results of ab initio calculations that, for the first time, have allowed one to disentangle the contributions from Ga atoms in different Wyckoff positions.

Effect of reflection and refraction on NEXAFS spectra measured in TEY mode

A study of the effect of reflection and refraction processes on the evolution of the total-electron-yield spectrum over a wide range of incidence angles including grazing angles is reported.

X-ray Fourier transform holography by amplitude-division-type Fresnel zone plate interferometer

A two-block Fresnel zone plate X-ray Fourier transform holography scheme is proposed and investigated.

Fast projection/backprojection and incremental methods applied to synchrotron light tomographic reconstruction

Here, fast Radon operators are used in incremental algorithms for maximum-likelihood transmission tomographic image reconstruction. The resulting methods present fast convergence and low per-iteration computational cost without compromising reconstruction accuracy. Application to synchrotron illuminated tomographic imaging is illustrated with both synthetic and real data.

Digital fast pulse shape and height analysis on cadmium–zinc–telluride arrays for high-flux energy-resolved X-ray imaging

This work presents the performance of a 2 mm-thick CZT pixel detector, with pixel pitches of 500 and 250 µm coupled to a custom 16-channel digital readout electronics, performing on-line fast pulse shape and height analysis. Charge-sharing investigations were performed, at both low and high fluxes, using fine time coincidence analysis and pulse shape analysis.

Separation of superimposed images with subpixel shift

This paper proposes a separation method for images composed of the superposition of a steady background and several foreground patterns with different subpixel motions. Application to the correction of X-ray radiographs allows moving particles that pollute the reconstruction to be erased.

A soft X-ray free-electron laser beamline at SACLA: the light source, photon beamline and experimental station

The status of a soft X-ray free-electron laser beamline at SACLA is reported.

Focusing X-ray free-electron laser pulses using Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors at the NCI hutch of the PAL-XFEL

Microfocusing of hard X-ray free-electron laser pulses using Kirkpatrick–Baez mirrors at the nano-crystallography and coherent imaging hutch of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free-Electron Laser facility is reported.

DA+ data acquisition and analysis software at the Swiss Light Source macromolecular crystallography beamlines

The implementation of DA+ data acquisition and analysis software at Swiss Light Source macromolecular crystallography beamlines is presented. Detailed descriptions of the user interface, acquisition engine, online processing and database, which are the major components of DA+, are given.