Ultrafast Dynamics and Imaging at the Nanoscale using Tabletop Coherent X-ray Sources*

Laser-like beams at very short wavelengths (1-50nm) can be routinely generated using high harmonic up-conversion (HHG) of tabletop femtosecond lasers.[1,2] This new quantum light source is both advancing rapidly in fundamental capabilities, and is providing a powerful new tool to understand nanoscale material properties and function. This talk will discuss new capabilities for controlling the polarization, spin and orbital angular momentum of HHG beams by sculpting the driving laser beams, [3,4] and will discuss applications in nanoscale magnetic and thermal dynamics using the short wavelength and element specificity of the EUV light-matter interaction. Highlights include the discovery of a new regime of collective nanoscale heat transport,[5] and work highlighting our current incomplete understanding of dynamic mechanisms in magnetic materials.[6]
References:
[1] A. Rundquist et al., Science 280, 1412 (1998).
[2] T. Popmintchev et al., Science 336, 1287 (2012).
[3] L. Rego et al., Science 364, eaaw9486 (2019).
[4] K. Dorney et al., Nature Photonics 13, 123 (2019).
[5] KM Hoogeboom-Pot et al, PNAS 112(16), 4846-4851 (2015).
[6] P Tengdin, et al, Science Advances 4(3), 8 (2018).