Versatile tabletop setup for picosecond time-resolved resonant soft-x-ray scattering and spectroscopy

We present a laser-driven, bright, and broadband (50 to 1500 eV) soft-x-ray plasma source with <10 ps pulse duration. This source is employed in two complementary, laboratory-scale beamlines for time-resolved, magnetic resonant scattering and spectroscopy, as well as near-edge x-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. In both beamlines, dedicated reflection zone plates (RZPs) are used as single optical elements to capture, disperse, and focus the soft x rays, reaching resolving powers up to E/? > 1000, with hybrid RZPs at the NEXAFS beamline retaining a consistent E/?E > 500 throughout the full spectral range, allowing for time-efficient data acquisition. We demonstrate the versatility and performance of our setup by a selection of soft-x-ray spectroscopy and scattering experiments, which so far have not been possible on a laboratory scale. Excellent data quality, combined with experimental flexibility, renders our approach a true alternative to large-scale facilities, such as synchrotron-radiation sources and free-electron lasers.

Automated summary

We present a laser-driven soft-x-ray plasma source with short pulse duration and wide spectral range. This source is used in two laboratory-scale beamlines for time-resolved magnetic resonant scattering, spectroscopy, and NEXAFS spectroscopy. Dedicated reflection zone plates are utilized as optical elements to capture, disperse, and focus the soft x rays, achieving high resolving powers and efficient data acquisition. Our setup enables soft-x-ray experiments that were not previously possible on a laboratory scale, making it a viable alternative to large-scale facilities.