Advances in X-ray Optics

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2022) | Viewed by 20300

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Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanov Str., 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Interests: atomic and molecular processes in strong laser fields; attosecond physics; spectroscopy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, great advances have been made in the development of X-ray radiation sources of various types, from large-scale XFELs and synchrotron-based sources to table-top laser-plasma X-ray sources and laser-based high-order harmonic XUV sources, which have proven themselves as indispensable tools for studies in chemistry, physics, biology, materials science and other fields. On the other hand, new horizons have been reached in the development of X-ray optics, which play a key role in delivering the beam from the source to the target, as well as in technology providing X-ray optics metrology, X-ray detection and image processing; new methods of X-ray spectroscopy and microscopy have been developed. Furthermore, important steps have been taken towards ensuring that experiments in X-ray nonlinear and quantum optics can be translated into practical applications.

This Special Issue aims to present the latest advances in the most important areas of X-ray optics, such as:

- X-ray radiation sources;

- X-ray pulses and their applications;

- High repetition rate X-ray sources;

- Optics for X-ray beams;

- Ex situ/in situ metrology for X-ray optics;

- X-ray detectors;

- X-ray spectroscopy;

- X-ray microscopy;

- X-ray imaging techniques;

- Nonlinear X-ray optics;

- X-ray quantum optics;

Dr. Mikhail Yu. Ryabikin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • X-ray sources
  • optics
  • detectors
  • spectroscopy
  • microscopy
  • imaging
  • nonlinear optics
  • quantum optics

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2781 KiB  
Article
Compression of the Synchrotron Mössbauer X-ray Photon Waveform in an Oscillating Resonant Absorber
by Ilias R. Khairulin, Yevgeny V. Radeonychev and Olga Kocharovskaya
Photonics 2022, 9(11), 829; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9110829 - 4 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1377
Abstract
A technique to transform the waveform of a 14.4 keV photon (time dependence of the photon detection probability or, equivalently, the intensity of the single-photon wave packet) into a regular sequence of short, nearly bandwidth-limited pulses with a controlled number of pulses is [...] Read more.
A technique to transform the waveform of a 14.4 keV photon (time dependence of the photon detection probability or, equivalently, the intensity of the single-photon wave packet) into a regular sequence of short, nearly bandwidth-limited pulses with a controlled number of pulses is proposed. It is based on coherent forward scattering of single X-ray photons from a synchrotron Mössbauer source (SMS) in an optically thick, vibrating, recoilless 57Fe resonant absorber. The possibility of compressing the waveform of an SMS photon into a single short bell-shaped pulse is predicted. The experiment is proposed for compressing a 100 ns duration 14.4 keV single-photon wave packet produced by SMS at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) into a single bell-shaped pulse of less than 20 ns duration and more than twice the peak intensity. Such single-photon coherent pulses are promising for applications in the fast-developing field of X-ray quantum optics, including possible implementation of quantum memory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in X-ray Optics)
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11 pages, 3277 KiB  
Article
Optical and Scintillation Properties of Tb-Doped Rare-Earth Pyrosilicate Single Crystals
by Prom Kantuptim, Takumi Kato, Daisuke Nakauchi, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Kenichi Watanabe and Takayuki Yanagida
Photonics 2022, 9(10), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9100765 - 13 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2424
Abstract
Series of 1.0% Terbium (Tb)-doped rare-earth pyrosilicate single crystals including Lu2Si2O7 (LPS), Y2Si2O7 (YPS), Gd2Si2O7 (GPS), and La2Si2O7 (LaPS) have been prepared by [...] Read more.
Series of 1.0% Terbium (Tb)-doped rare-earth pyrosilicate single crystals including Lu2Si2O7 (LPS), Y2Si2O7 (YPS), Gd2Si2O7 (GPS), and La2Si2O7 (LaPS) have been prepared by the floating-zone method. After the phase confirmation by powder X-ray diffraction, the properties are measured on both photoluminescence and scintillation aspects, including the photoluminescence emission contour graph and decay times, X-ray induced scintillation spectra and decay times, afterglow profiles, and the recently developed pulse height spectra for scintillators with millisecond decay time. The results indicate the multiple emissions from Tb3+ 4f-4f transition with the dominant emission at 540 nm (5D47F5) on both ultraviolet and X-ray excitation with the decay time around 2.6–5.6 and 1.3–3.2 ms, respectively. Under the γ-ray irradiation from 137Cs, the Tb-doped LPS, YPS, GPS, and LaPS have presented scintillation light yields of 20,700, 29,600, 95,600, and 47,700 ph/MeV with ±10%, respectively, which considerably very high among the oxide scintillators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in X-ray Optics)
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8 pages, 1951 KiB  
Communication
Design of a Hybrid Split-Delay Line for Hard X-ray Free-Electron Lasers
by Yihui Xu, Chen Wu, Jiadong Fan, Zhen Wang, Yajun Tong, Qiushi Huang, Chuan Yang, Xiaohao Dong, Huaidong Jiang and Zhi Liu
Photonics 2022, 9(3), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9030136 - 26 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2520
Abstract
High repetition-rate X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) enable the study of fast dynamics on microsecond time scales. Split-delay lines (SDLs) further bring the time scale down to femtoseconds by splitting and delaying the XFEL pulses. Crystals and multilayers are two common types of optical [...] Read more.
High repetition-rate X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) enable the study of fast dynamics on microsecond time scales. Split-delay lines (SDLs) further bring the time scale down to femtoseconds by splitting and delaying the XFEL pulses. Crystals and multilayers are two common types of optical elements in SDLs, offering either long delay ranges or high temporal accuracy. In this work, we introduce the design of a hybrid SDL for the coherent diffraction endstation of Shanghai High Repetition Rate XFEL and Extreme Light Facility (SHINE). It uses crystals for the first branch and multilayers for the second one, thus simultaneously offering a relatively long delay range and high temporal accuracy. Moreover, a third branch can be installed to switch the SDL to the all-crystal configuration for longer delay ranges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in X-ray Optics)
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13 pages, 5354 KiB  
Article
Flexible Plenoptic X-ray Microscopy
by Elena Longo, Domenico Alj, Joost Batenburg, Ombeline de La Rochefoucauld, Charlotte Herzog, Imke Greving, Ying Li, Mikhail Lyubomirskiy, Ken Vidar Falch, Patricia Estrela, Silja Flenner, Nicola Viganò, Marta Fajardo and Philippe Zeitoun
Photonics 2022, 9(2), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9020098 - 8 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3457
Abstract
X-ray computed tomography (CT) is an invaluable technique for generating three-dimensional (3D) images of inert or living specimens. X-ray CT is used in many scientific, industrial, and societal fields. Compared to conventional 2D X-ray imaging, CT requires longer acquisition times because up to [...] Read more.
X-ray computed tomography (CT) is an invaluable technique for generating three-dimensional (3D) images of inert or living specimens. X-ray CT is used in many scientific, industrial, and societal fields. Compared to conventional 2D X-ray imaging, CT requires longer acquisition times because up to several thousand projections are required for reconstructing a single high-resolution 3D volume. Plenoptic imaging—an emerging technology in visible light field photography—highlights the potential of capturing quasi-3D information with a single exposure. Here, we show the first demonstration of a flexible plenoptic microscope operating with hard X-rays; it is used to computationally reconstruct images at different depths along the optical axis. The experimental results are consistent with the expected axial refocusing, precision, and spatial resolution. Thus, this proof-of-concept experiment opens the horizons to quasi-3D X-ray imaging, without sample rotation, with spatial resolution of a few hundred nanometres. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in X-ray Optics)
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21 pages, 2099 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Amplification of Attosecond Pulses in a Hydrogen-like Plasma-Based X-ray Laser Modulated by an Infrared Field at the Second Harmonic of Fundamental Frequency
by Ilias R. Khairulin, Vladimir A. Antonov, Mikhail Yu. Ryabikin and Olga Kocharovskaya
Photonics 2022, 9(2), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics9020051 - 19 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2610
Abstract
In a recent work (Antonov et al., Physical Review Letters 123, 243903 (2019)), it was shown that it is possible to amplify a train of attosecond pulses, which are produced from the radiation of high harmonics of the infrared field of the fundamental [...] Read more.
In a recent work (Antonov et al., Physical Review Letters 123, 243903 (2019)), it was shown that it is possible to amplify a train of attosecond pulses, which are produced from the radiation of high harmonics of the infrared field of the fundamental frequency, in the active medium of a plasma-based X-ray laser modulated by a replica of the infrared field of the same frequency. In this paper, we show that much higher amplification can be achieved using the second harmonic of the fundamental frequency for modulating of a hydrogen-like active medium. The physical reason for such enhanced amplification is the possibility to use all (even and odd) sidebands induced in the gain spectrum in the case of the modulating field of the doubled fundamental frequency, while only one set of sidebands (either even or odd) could participate in amplification in the case of the modulating field of the fundamental frequency due to the fact that the spectral components of the high-harmonic field are separated by twice the fundamental frequency. Using the plasma of hydrogen-like C5+ ions with an inverted transition wavelength of 3.38 nm in the water window as an example, it is shown that the use of a modulating field at a doubled fundamental frequency makes it possible to increase the intensity of amplified attosecond pulses by an order of magnitude in comparison with the previously studied case of a fundamental frequency modulating field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in X-ray Optics)
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10 pages, 4291 KiB  
Communication
Multi-Lane Mirror for Broadband Applications of the Betatron X-ray Source
by Marek Raclavský, Krishna P. Khakurel, Uddhab Chaulagain, Marcel Lamač and Jaroslav Nejdl
Photonics 2021, 8(12), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8120579 - 15 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3263
Abstract
A new generation of small-scale ultrafast X-ray sources is rapidly emerging. Laser-driven betatron radiation represents an important class of such ultrafast X-ray sources. With the sources driving towards maturity, many important applications in material and biological sciences are expected to be carried out. [...] Read more.
A new generation of small-scale ultrafast X-ray sources is rapidly emerging. Laser-driven betatron radiation represents an important class of such ultrafast X-ray sources. With the sources driving towards maturity, many important applications in material and biological sciences are expected to be carried out. While the last decade mainly focused on the optimization of the source properties, the development of such sources into user-oriented beamlines in order to explore the potential applications has recently taken off and is expected to grow rapidly. An important aspect in the realization of such beamlines will be the implementation of proper X-ray optics. Here, we present the design of a multi-lane X-ray mirror as a versatile focusing device covering a wide spectral range of betatron X-rays. The expected photon flux in the focal plane of such optics was also estimated through geometrical simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in X-ray Optics)
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9 pages, 2514 KiB  
Communication
Nondestructive Structural Investigation of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Fiber Insulation Tile by Synchrotron X-ray In-Line Phase-Contrast Microtomography
by Shengkun Yao, Benxue Liu, Jing Ren, Jingwen Liu, Meili Qi and Yangjian Cai
Photonics 2021, 8(8), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics8080338 - 17 Aug 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2299
Abstract
Zirconia (ZrO2) aerogels show excellent insulating performance and have been widely applied as a thermal protector in furnaces, nuclear reactors, and spacecraft. The nondestructive determination of their interior microstructure is significant for evaluating their mechanical and insulating performance. In this study, [...] Read more.
Zirconia (ZrO2) aerogels show excellent insulating performance and have been widely applied as a thermal protector in furnaces, nuclear reactors, and spacecraft. The nondestructive determination of their interior microstructure is significant for evaluating their mechanical and insulating performance. In this study, we performed nondestructive structural investigation of an yttria-stabilized ZrO2 fiber insulation tile using synchrotron X-ray in-line phase-contrast microtomography at a pixel resolution of 6.5 µm. Taking advantage of the edge enhancement of phase-contrast imaging, single yttria-stabilized ZrO2 fibers were clearly distinguished; furthermore, interior aggregates were nondestructively observed at this spatial resolution. This work demonstrates the advantages and potential of synchrotron X-ray microtomography for the structural analysis of porous ceramic materials. By combining higher-brilliance synchrotron radiation sources and CCD detectors with higher spatial and temporal resolutions, we anticipate that we can further understand the relationship between aerogel microstructure and function, especially under in-service conditions at high temperatures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in X-ray Optics)
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