UE56-1_ZPM

Soft X-ray fs-to-ps pulsed undulator radiation with variable polarization for FEMTOSPEX-DynaMax

The ZPM (zone plate monochromator) was particularly designed and commissioned according to user requirements to support optical pump - soft x-ray probe experiments at the FemtoSpeX facility at the UE56-1.

Optical layout (left) of the high transmission (T ~ 0.2) ZPM beamline after the upgrade in 2012. In order to select a certain lens (image) and energy range, the optical element (RZP array, yellow) is moved perpendicular to the optical axis driven by a stepping motor. A special laser feed-in (orange) is an inherent part of the approach enabling pump-probe experiments with variable pump wavelength from UV to FIR at large numerical aperture. The red images above the right picture show the intensity distributions in the focus after each lens.

Optical layout (left) of the high transmission (T ~ 0.2) ZPM beamline after the upgrade in 2012. In order to select a certain lens (image) and energy range, the optical element (RZP array, yellow) is moved perpendicular to the optical axis driven by a stepping motor. A special laser feed-in (orange) is an inherent part of the approach enabling pump-probe experiments with variable pump wavelength from UV to FIR at large numerical aperture. The red images above the right picture show the intensity distributions in the focus after each lens.


Station data
Temperature range 20 – 350 K in standard configuration (for higher or lower temperatures, please contact the instrument scientists)
Pressure range UHV
Weitere Details FEMTOSPEX-DynaMax
Beamline data
Segment H11
Location (Pillar) 12.2
Source UE56-1 slicing (Elliptical Undulator)
Monochromator Reflection Zone Plate Arrray (RZPA)
Energy range 400 - 1500 eV; 1800 eV
Energy resolution 500
Flux 1·106 ph/sec/0.1%BW@6kHz (100 fs pulses)
Polarisation variable
Divergence horizontal 0.2 mrad
Divergence vertical 0.1 mrad
Focus size (hor. x vert.) typ. 140 µm x 50 µm (slit)
User endstation no
Distance Focus/last valve 800 mm
Height Focus/floor level 1763 mm
Beam availability 12h/d
Phone +49 30 8062-14715
Schematic layout of the full optical pump-soft-x-ray probe setup at the FemtoSpeX facility after the laser (red boxes) and repetition rate upgrade. The horizontal dimension of the setup is ca. 50 m.

Schematic layout of the full optical pump-soft-x-ray probe setup at the FemtoSpeX facility after the laser (red boxes) and repetition rate upgrade. The horizontal dimension of the setup is ca. 50 m.

Artists view how we generate 100 fs soft X-ray pulses by Femtoslicing

Artists view how we generate 100 fs soft X-ray pulses by Femtoslicing


Owing to the principles of generating 100 fs x-ray pulses from a storage ring [1] one needs optics of highest possible transmission up to 21%. A successful approach has been a single element monochromator based on Reflection Zone Plates [2]. The current design as depicted in Figure 1 (right) consists of 9 lenses that enable a working range from 410 to 1333 eV at moderate spectral resolutions of E/DE= 500 or, in one case E/DE = 2000, at 713 eV. The optics is tailored to minimize pulse elongations to 30 fs preserving the polarization properties of the elliptical light from the undulator.

References / Latest Publications

[1] Khan, S., Holldack, K., Kachel, T., Mitzner, R. & Quast, T., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 074801 (2006).

[2] Brzhezinskaya, M, et al. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 20, 522-530 (2013).

[3] Stamm, C. et al., Nature Materials  6, 740–743 (2007).

[4] Boeglin, C. et al., Nature 465, 458–462 (2010).

[5] Wietstruk, M. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 127401 (2011).

[6] Radu, I. et al., Nature 472, 205–209 (2011).

[7] Eschenlohr, A. et al., Nature Materials 12, 332–336 (2013).

[8] Bergerard, N. et al. Nature Communications, 5, 3466, doi:10.1038/ncomms4466.