Theory of high-energy correlated multiphoton x-ray diffraction for synchrotron-radiation sources

Abstract

We present a theoretical formulation for the multiphoton diffraction phenomenology in the nonrelativistic limit, suitable for interpreting high-energy x-ray diffraction measurements using synchrotron radiation sources. A hierarchy of approximations and the systematic analysis of limiting cases are presented. A convolutional representation of the diffraction signal allows classification of the physical resources contributing to the correlation signatures. The formulation is intended for developing a theoretical description capable of describing the plausible absence or presence of correlation signatures in elastic and inelastic diffractive scattering. Interpreting these correlation signatures in terms of the incoming field modulated many-body electronic density correlations provides a unique perspective for structural imaging studies. More essentially, it offers a framework necessary for theoretical developments of associated reconstruction algorithms.