X-rays articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    In-sensor computing requires detectors with polarity reconfigurability and linear responsivity. Pang et al. report a CsPbBr3 perovskite single crystal X-ray detector for edge extraction imaging with a data compression ratio of 46.4% and classification task with an accuracy of 100%.

    • Jincong Pang
    • , Haodi Wu
    •  & Guangda Niu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ultrafast spectroscopy enables characterization and control of non-equilibrium states. Here the authors introduce a stochastic thermodynamics approach to calculate entropy production in a material under ultrafast excitation, using ionic displacement data from time-resolved X-ray scattering experiments.

    • Lorenzo Caprini
    • , Hartmut Löwen
    •  & R. Matthias Geilhufe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Strong optical excitation near band extrema can drive novel correlated states. Here the authors report a non-equilibrium many-body state in graphite driven by a strong excitation near van Hove singularity, yielding a tenfold increase in optical conductivity attributed to carrier excitations in the flat bands.

    • T. P. H. Sidiropoulos
    • , N. Di Palo
    •  & J. Biegert

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Methods to characterize the free-electron laser pulses are evolving and their performances are also improving. Here the authors demonstrate a method based on the artificial neural networks to predict the output pulses of the X-ray free-electron laser by considering the electron beam parameters as input.

    • Kenan Li
    • , Guanqun Zhou
    •  & Anne Sakdinawat

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Since their initial operation, free-electron lasers are regularly upgraded in their performance and parameter control. Here the authors present the first lasing results of the soft X-ray free-electron laser beamline of the Paul Scherrer Institute, demonstrating different modes of operation and polarisation control of the tailored soft X-ray pulses.

    • Eduard Prat
    • , Andre Al Haddad
    •  & Tobias Weilbach

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Development of synchroton facilities increases the demand of optics for focusing X-ray beam to achieve diffraction-limited focusing onto samples. Here, the authors demonstrated an X-ray optical element based on visible light Alvarez varifocal lens providing precise performance focusing elements.

    • Vishal Dhamgaye
    • , David Laundy
    •  & Kawal Sawhney

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In time-resolved measurements it is crucial to know the time delay between the exciting and probing light pulses. Here the authors demonstrate a self-referencing common-path interferometer method measuring the arrival time between the X-ray free electron laser and the optical pulse to the target and thus their inherent timing jitter.

    • Michael Diez
    • , Henning Kirchberg
    •  & Christian Bressler

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Many of the most sensitive X-ray detectors are based on toxic elements such as lead, limiting their safe applications. Here, the authors report the realization of sensitive X-ray detectors based on solution-grown thick BiI/BiI3/BiI van der Waals heterostructures, showing a detection limit down to 34 nGy s−1 and high stability.

    • Renzhong Zhuang
    • , Songhua Cai
    •  & Shenghuang Lin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Free-electron lasers (FELs) can produce bright X-ray pulses, but require high quality electron beams. Here the authors show how to generate and preserve ultrabright electron beams from plasma-based accelerators for ultra-compact, high-brightness X-ray FELs.

    • A. F. Habib
    • , G. G. Manahan
    •  & B. Hidding

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The high dark current of perovskite photodetectors hinders the full potential of perovskites as active material for X-ray detectors. Here, Jin et al. provide a strategy to reduce the dark current to zero and massively enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of perovskite X-ray detectors and photodetectors.

    • Peng Jin
    • , Yingjie Tang
    •  & Yang (Michael) Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    X-ray diffractive and refractive optical elements suffer from chromatic aberrations, limiting high-resolution X-ray microscopes mainly to bright synchrotron sources. Here, the authors experimentally realise an achromatic X-ray lens by combing a focusing diffractive Fresnel zone plate and a defocusing refractive lens.

    • Adam Kubec
    • , Marie-Christine Zdora
    •  & Christian David

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Atomic point defects formed by irradiation can dramatically alter material properties, but are difficult to probe, limiting understanding of their impact. Here, the authors introduce an x-ray microscopy approach, based on Bragg ptychography, to visualise the distortion caused by these otherwise invisible defects.

    • Peng Li
    • , Nicholas W. Phillips
    •  & Virginie Chamard

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The limit of X-ray detection is an important figure of merit for X-ray detectors, yet the suitability of method adopted from Currie’s 1968 paper and the following international standard is in doubt. Here, the authors propose a statistical model that correlates dark current and photo-current, show how it can be used to determine detection limit.

    • Lei Pan
    • , Shreetu Shrestha
    •  & Lei R. Cao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here the authors show that radiation emitted by individual electrons can be controlled by shaping the electron wavepacket. They present feasible examples for applications including collimated and monochromatic X-ray emission from specially shaped electrons.

    • Liang Jie Wong
    • , Nicholas Rivera
    •  & Ido Kaminer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Laser wakefield accelerators are compact sources of ultra-relativistic electrons which are highly sensitive to many control parameters. Here the authors present an automated machine learning based method for the efficient multi-dimensional optimization of these plasma-based particle accelerators.

    • R. J. Shalloo
    • , S. J. D. Dann
    •  & M. J. V. Streeter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Designing efficient nanowire chip-based electrical and optical devices remains a challenge. Here, the authors present an axial p-n junction GaAs nanowire X-ray detector that enables achieving a spatial resolution of 200 nm; probing the internal electrical field and observing hot electron effects at the nanoscale.

    • Maximilian Zapf
    • , Maurizio Ritzer
    •  & Carsten Ronning

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mesoscale investigations of material microarchitecture using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) methods have been limited by long measurement times. Here, the authors present an X-ray diffractive optics method which enables single shot acquisition of SAXS signals over large areas.

    • Matias Kagias
    • , Zhentian Wang
    •  & Marco Stampanoni

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Free electron X-ray laser pulses, generated by self-amplified spontaneous emission, are stochastic in nature. Here the authors present a reconstruction method for 2D spectroscopy while preserving the intrinsic properties of the incident pulses and apply it to a study towards X-ray intensity induced effects.

    • Yves Kayser
    • , Chris Milne
    •  & Jakub Szlachetko

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Monitoring growth dynamics of crystalline thin materials progressively is crucial to understand the mechanism. Here, the authors develop a local step flow model to investigate the growth of C60 films on graphene coated over silicon substrates that correlates the step-edge velocity with its terrace lengths using the X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

    • Randall L. Headrick
    • , Jeffrey G. Ulbrandt
    •  & Karl F. Ludwig Jr.

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Radiation induced sample deformation can be a limiting factor for X-ray imaging resolution at the nanoscale. The authors report a tomographic model that estimates and accounts for morphological changes during data acquisition and enables reconstruction of a high-resolution image ab initio.

    • Michal Odstrcil
    • , Mirko Holler
    •  & Manuel Guizar-Sicairos

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Modern high-resolution X-ray microscopy techniques suffer from limited field-of-view or longer acquisition times. Here the authors use structured illumination to enable fast, full-field super-resolution transmission microscopy, even for optically thick specimens and at hard X-ray energies.

    • Benedikt Günther
    • , Lorenz Hehn
    •  & Franz Pfeiffer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fabrication of wafer-scale nanogratings for X-ray spectroscopy is difficult especially for very high line densities. The authors use vacancy epitaxy to fabricate sub-50-nm-periodicity gratings, coated with multilayers for efficient operation, for use in ultra-high resolution x-ray spectroscopy.

    • Qiushi Huang
    • , Qi jia
    •  & Xin Ou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Laser-matter interaction has been intensively studied in equilibrium states, but irreversible processes in a highly nonequilibrium state at nanoscales remains elusive due to experimental challenges. Here, Ihm et al. image heterogeneous melting of gold nanoparticles with nanometer and picosecond resolution.

    • Yungok Ihm
    • , Do Hyung Cho
    •  & Changyong Song

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is desirable to improve spatiotemporal control of light generated by synchrotron user facilities or table-top X-ray sources. Here the authors demonstrate manipulation of hard X-rays using microelectro mechanical systems (MEMS) oscillators on timescales of 300 ps, approaching the synchrotron pulse width.

    • Pice Chen
    • , Il Woong Jung
    •  & Jin Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) allows for high resolution imaging without lenses. Here, Lo et al. develop in situ CDI with real-time imaging and a corresponding low-dose requirement, with expected applications in the physical and life sciences.

    • Yuan Hung Lo
    • , Lingrong Zhao
    •  & Jianwei Miao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal-oxide nanostructures are used in a range of light-driven applications, yet the fundamentals behind their properties are poorly understood. Here the authors probe photoexcited zinc oxide nanoparticles using time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy, identifying photocatalytically-active hole traps as oxygen vacancies in the lattice.

    • Thomas J. Penfold
    • , Jakub Szlachetko
    •  & Christopher J. Milne

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Free electron laser beam profile characterization is usually performed separately from the actual measurements and this leads to considerable uncertainty in the results. Here the authors demonstrate the simultaneous measurement of the FEL beam profile with the experiment by using integrated gratings.

    • Michael Schneider
    • , Christian M. Günther
    •  & Stefan Eisebitt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Isolated attosecond pulses are produced using high harmonic generation and sources of these pulses often suffer from low photon flux in soft X-ray regime. Here the authors demonstrate efficient generation and characterization of 53 as pulses with photon energy near the water window.

    • Jie Li
    • , Xiaoming Ren
    •  & Zenghu Chang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding excited carrier dynamics in semiconductors is central to the continued development of optoelectronic devices. Using extreme ultraviolet transient absorption spectroscopy, Zürchet al. directly and simultaneously observe ultrafast electron and hole dynamics in germanium thin films.

    • Michael Zürch
    • , Hung-Tzu Chang
    •  & Stephen R. Leone

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Phase-sensitive measurements are important to gain insights of light-matter interactions and require phase-controlled pulses. Here the authors demonstrate the phase control and interferometric autocorrelation on a free electron laser using SASE pulse pair created with a split and delay unit.

    • Sergey Usenko
    • , Andreas Przystawik
    •  & Tim Laarmann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    X-ray optics are notoriously challenging to fabricate due to the strict tolerances that result from the short wavelength of radiation. Here, Seibothet al. carefully quantify aberrations in complex X-ray lenses and correct them with an easy-to-fabricate broadband phase plate.

    • Frank Seiboth
    • , Andreas Schropp
    •  & Christian G. Schroer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Whilst terahertz optical spectroscopy allows for the study of coupled spin and lattice excitations, it is limited in momentum space. Here, the authors use inelastic x-ray scattering to demonstrate strong magnon-phonon coupling and electromagnon excitations across the Brillouin zone of LiCrO2.

    • Sándor Tóth
    • , Björn Wehinger
    •  & Christian Rüegg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Robust coherent diffractive imaging generally requires many exposures that may damage samples. Here, the authors develop a single-shot X-ray imaging method applicable to general samples for materials and biological sciences, also enabling imaging of dynamic processes, using a pulsed X-ray laser.

    • Fucai Zhang
    • , Bo Chen
    •  & Ian K. Robinson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Attosecond soft X-ray pulses hold promise for probing electronic dynamics in real time, but it is challenging to achieve element sensitivity while maintaining temporal resolution. Teichmann et al. report the cover of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen absorption edges with an isolated pulse supporting 13 as duration.

    • S. M. Teichmann
    • , F. Silva
    •  & J. Biegert

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