Femtosecond pulse x-ray imaging with a large field of view

Pfau B, Gunther CM, Schaffert S, Mitzner R, Siemer B, Roling S, Zacharias H, Kutz O, Rudolph I, Treusch R, Eisebitt S

Abstract

Femtosecond pulse x-ray imaging is demonstrated in a sample-multiplexed Fourier transform holography scheme. Parallel imaging of multiple samples over an extended field of view is achieved by exploiting the coherence properties of the free-electron laser (FEL) source and the large profile of the unfocused x-ray pulse. The resulting photon flux density per pulse allows for damage-free single-pulse imaging with moderate image resolution. We envision the application of the method for femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe experiments with the feasibility of recording multiple steps in time with a single pulse. Furthermore, the scheme presented allows for a characterization of FEL radiation pulse parameters.