DOE OSTI · 3029024
Microscopy X-ray imaging enriched with small angle X-ray scattering for few nanometer resolution reveals shock waves and compression in intense short pulse laser irradiation of solids
Abstract
Understanding how laser pulses compress solids into high-energy-density states requires diagnostics that simultaneously resolve macroscopic geometry and nanometer-scale structure. Here we present a combined X-ray imaging (XRM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) approach that bridges this diagnostic gap. Using the Matter in Extreme Conditions end station at LCLS, we irradiated 25 μm copper wires with 45 fs, 0.9 J, 800 nm pulses at 3.5 × 10 19 W/cm 2 while probing with 8.2 keV XFEL pulses. XRM visualizes the evolution of ablation, compression, and inward-propagating fronts with ∼ 200 nm resolution, while SAXS quantifies their nanometer-scale sharpness via the time-resolved evolution of scattering streaks. The joint analysis reveals that an initially smooth compression steepens into a nanometer-sharp shock front after t sh ≈ (18 ± 3) ps, consistent with an analytical steepening model and hydrodynamic simulations. The front reaches a velocity of c sh ≈ 25 k m / s and a lateral width of several tens of microns, demonstrating direct observation of shock formation and decay at solid density for the first time with few-nanometer precision. This integrated XRM–SAXS method establishes a quantitative, multi-scale diagnostic of laser-driven shocks in dense plasmas relevant to inertial confinement fusion, warm dense matter, and planetary physics.
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Kluge, Thomas [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Hirsch-Passicos, Arthur [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Schulz, Jannis [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)], Czapla, Nick [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Frost, Mungo [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Galtier, Eric [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Gauthier, Maxence [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Grenzer, Jörg [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Gutt, Christian [Universität Siegen (Germany)], Huang, Lingen [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Hübner, Uwe [Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Jena (Germany)], Ikeya, Megan [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Lee, Hae Ja [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Khaghani, Dimitri [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Martin, Willow Moon [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Marré, Brian Edward [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)], Nakatsutsumi, Motoaki [European XFEL, Schenefeld (Germany)], Ordyna, Paweł [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)], Paschke-Bruehl, Franziska [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Pelka, Alexander [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Randolph, Lisa [Universität Siegen (Germany)], Schlenvoigt, Hans-Peter [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Schoenwaelder, Christopher [SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)], Šmíd, Michal [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Yang, Long [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany)], Schramm, Ulrich [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)], Cowan, Thomas E. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden (Germany)]. 2026-04-30. Microscopy X-ray imaging enriched with small angle X-ray scattering for few nanometer resolution reveals shock waves and compression in intense short pulse laser irradiation of solids. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2026.1753058
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