Timing and X-ray pulse characterization at the Small Quantum Systems instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser

This contribution presents the initial characterization of the pump-probe performance at the Small Quantum Systems (SQS) instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. It is demonstrated that time-resolved experiments can be performed by measuring the X-ray/optical cross-correlation exploiting the laser-assisted Auger decay in neon. Applying time-of-arrival corrections based on simultaneous spectral encoding measurements allow us to significantly improve the temporal resolution of this experiment. These results pave the way for ultrafast pump-probe investigations of gaseous media at the SQS instrument combining intense and tunable soft X-rays with versatile optical laser capabilities. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the initial characterization of pump-probe performance at the Small Quantum Systems (SQS) instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser, showcasing time-resolved experiments using X-ray/optical cross-correlation. By applying time-of-arrival corrections based on simultaneous spectral encoding measurements, the temporal resolution of the experiment is significantly improved, paving the way for ultrafast pump-probe investigations of gaseous media at the SQS instrument.