Key Points:
- Development of spectrometer for XFEL diagnostics
- First realization of high-resolution, single-shot measurement
- Success of international collaboration between major XFEL projects
The research group of RIKEN (President Ryoji NOYORI), the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI, Director General Akira KIRA), and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC, Director Jonathan Dorfan) has announced the development of a new instrument for measuring the energy spectrum of an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL). This development was achieved by Dr. Makina Yabashi and Dr. Tetsuya Ishikawa (Group Director) of the "RIKEN-JASRI Joint-Project for the SPring-8 XFEL" (Director Toichi SAKATA) and Dr. Jerome Hastings (Project Director) at SLAC, collaborating with groups at Osaka University and the Lawrence-Berkeley National Laboratory.
The XFEL is a very brilliant laser having an atomic-scale resolution and will provide innovations in fundamental science and advanced technology. To realize the XFEL, developments are proceeding intensively in Japan, the United States, and Europe. In particular, the high-resolution measurement of the XFEL wavelength (spectrum) from a single pulse is necessary for investigating XFEL properties.
The newly developed single-shot spectrometer is based on the combination of an X-ray mirror and perfect-crystal diffraction. The achieved resolution of 13.1 meV is higher than that of a conventional instrument by two orders of magnitude. This instrument will make a great contribution to developing XFEL science. This result was published online in Physical Review Letters on August 25, 2006.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Makina Yabashi,
RIKEN-JASRI Joint-Project for the SPring-8 XFEL
Phone +81 -(0)791-58-0831
Fax +81 -(0)791-58-0830
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| Fig. 1 Principle of spectrometer |
| The incident beam, which is focused and diverged by the X-ray mirror, is diffracted by the perfect crystal of silicon. The spatial profile of the diffracted beam is recorded using the X-ray camera. |
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| Fig. 2 Profile of diffracted beam |
| The position of the diffracted beam is shifted as the incident wavelength (photon energy) changes. The numbers on the left indicate deviations of the incident photon energy. |
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| Fig. 3 Energy resolution |
| Measurement result of energy resolution using monochromatic X-rays as incident beam. A resolution of 13.1 meV was obtained by subtracting the energy spread of the incident beam. |
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