Abstract
Synchrotrons produce continuous trains of closely spaced X-ray pulses. Application of such sources to the study of atomic-scale motion requires efficient modulation of these beams on timescales ranging from nanoseconds to femtoseconds. However, ultrafast X-ray modulators are not generally available. Here we report efficient subnanosecond coherent switching of synchrotron beams by using acoustic pulses in a crystal to modulate the anomalous low-loss transmission of X-ray pulses. The acoustic excitation transfers energy between two X-ray beams in a time shorter than the synchrotron pulse width of about 100 ps. Gigahertz modulation of the diffracted X-rays is also observed. We report different geometric arrangements, such as a switch based on the collision of two counter-propagating acoustic pulses: this doubles the X-ray modulation frequency, and also provides a means of observing a localized transient strain inside an opaque material. We expect that these techniques could be scaled to produce subpicosecond pulses, through laser-generated coherent optical phonon modulation of X-ray diffraction in crystals. Such ultrafast capabilities have been demonstrated thus far only in laser-generated X-ray sources, or through the use of X-ray streak cameras1,2,3,4,5,6.
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Acknowledgements
We thank R. Colella and J. Wark for discussions, and D. Arms for technical support. This work was conducted at the MHATT-CAT insertion device beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. Use of the Advanced Photon Source was supported by the US Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Energy Research. We also acknowledge partial support from the National Science Foundation, the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, and the AFOSR through the MURI programme.
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DeCamp, M., Reis, D., Bucksbaum, P. et al. Coherent control of pulsed X-ray beams. Nature 413, 825–828 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35101560
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35101560
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