Developments in time-resolved x-ray research at APS beamline 7ID

The 7ID beamline of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) is dedicated to time-resolved research using x-ray imaging, scattering, and spectroscopy techniques. Time resolution is achieved via gated detectors and/or mechanical choppers in conjunction with the time structure of the x-ray beam. Three experimental hutches allow for a wide variety of experimental setups. Major areas of research include atomic, molecular, and optical physics; chemistry; condensed matter physics in the bulk, thin film, and surface regimes; and fluid-spray dynamics. Recent developments in facilities at 7ID include a high-power, high-repetition-rate picosecond laser to complement the 1 kHz ultrafast laser. For the ultrafast laser, a newly commissioned optical parametric amplifier provides pump wavelength from 0.2 to 15 µm with energy per pulse up to 200 µJ. A nanodiffraction station has also been commissioned, using Fresnel zone-plate optics to achieve a focused x-ray spot of 300 nm. This nanoprobe is not only used to spatially resolve the evolution of small features in samples after optical excitation, but also has been combined with an intense THz source to study material response under ultrafast electric fields.