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

Andreas Schropp*, Robert Hoppe, Vivienne Meier, Jens Patommel, Frank Seiboth, Yuan Ping, Damien G. Hicks, Martha A. Beckwith, Gilbert W. Collins, Andrew Higginbotham, Justin S. Wark, Hae Ja Lee, Bob Nagler, Eric C. Galtier, Brice Arnold, Ulf Zastrau, Jerome B. Hastings, Christian G. Schroer

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

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 temporal evolution of the shock wave can be monitored, yielding detailed information on shock dynamics, such as the shock velocity, the shock front width, and the local compression of the material. The method provides a quantitative perspective on the state of matter in extreme conditions.

Original languageEnglish
Article number11089
JournalScientific Reports
Volume5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Jun 2015

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