Single-shot coherent X-ray diffraction with a table-top soft X-ray source

Imaging individual objects of several nanometer resolution in space and several femtosecond resolution in time, is now one of the most exciting experiments in X-ray physics. Over the past decade, coherent X-ray diffraction has overcome a lot of limits in imaging noncrystalline objects at a resolution in the order of X-ray wavelength. So far, X-ray free electron lasers (or, in the mean time, 3^rd generation synchrotron sources) have been considered as a promising source, but the table-top source is no doubt extremely important for many new sciences. Recently, Dr. H. Merdji (CEA Saclay, France) and his colleagues reported the feasibility of a laser-driven soft X-ray source, which uses the 25^th harmonics (32 nm wavelength, 20 fs pulse width) of a Ti:sapphire laser. They succeeded in observing diffraction patterns from isolated nano-objects with a single 20 fs pulse. Images were reconstructed with a spatial resolution of 119 nm from the single shot and 62 nm from multiple shots. For more information, see the paper, "Single-Shot Diffractive Imaging with a Table-Top Femtosecond Soft X-Ray Laser-Harmonics Source", A. Ravasio et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 028104 (2009).