Hybrid Approach for Multiscale and Multimodal Time-Resolved Diagnosis of Ultrafast Processes in Materials via Tailored Synchronization of Laser and X-ray Sources at MHz Repetition Rates
Nikita Marchenkov,
Evgenii Mareev,
Anton Kulikov,
Fedor Pilyak,
Eduard Ibragimov,
Yuri Pisarevskii,
Fedor Potemkin
Affiliations
Nikita Marchenkov
Federal Scientific Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics”, National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», Leninskiy Prospect 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia
Evgenii Mareev
Federal Scientific Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics”, National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», Leninskiy Prospect 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia
Anton Kulikov
Federal Scientific Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics”, National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», Leninskiy Prospect 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia
Fedor Pilyak
Federal Scientific Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics”, National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», Leninskiy Prospect 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia
Eduard Ibragimov
Federal Scientific Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics”, National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», Leninskiy Prospect 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia
Yuri Pisarevskii
Federal Scientific Research Center “Crystallography and Photonics”, National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», Leninskiy Prospect 59, 119333 Moscow, Russia
Fedor Potemkin
Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
The synchronization of laser and X-ray sources is essential for time-resolved measurements in the study of ultrafast processes, including photo-induced piezo-effects, shock wave generation, and phase transitions. On the one hand, optical diagnostics (by synchronization of two laser sources) provides information about changes in vibration frequencies, shock wave dynamics, and linear and nonlinear refractive index behavior. On the other hand, optical pump–X-ray probe diagnostics provide an opportunity to directly reveal lattice dynamics. To integrate two approaches into a unified whole, one needs to create a robust method for the synchronization of two systems with different repetition rates up to the MHz range. In this paper, we propose a universal approach utilizing a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to achieve precise synchronization between different MHz sources such as various lasers and synchrotron X-ray sources. This synchronization method offers numerous advantages, such as high flexibility, fast response, and low jitter. Experimental results demonstrate the successful synchronization of two different MHz systems with a temporal resolution of 250 ps. This enables ultrafast measurements with a sub-nanosecond resolution, facilitating the uncovering of complex dynamics in ultrafast processes.