arXiv subjects

Svitozar Serkez

Publications and source records attributed to Svitozar Serkez.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Purified SASE undulator configuration to enhance the performance of the soft x-ray beamline at the European XFEL

The purified SASE (pSASE) undulator configuration recently proposed at SLAC promises an increase in the output spectral density of XFELs. In this article we study a straightforward implementation of this configuration for the soft x-ray beamline at the European XFEL. A few undulator cells, resonant at a subharmonic of the FEL radiation, are used in the middle of the exponential regime to amplify the radiation, while simultaneously reducing the FEL bandwidth. Based on start-to-end simulations, we show that with the proposed configuration the spectral density in the photon energy range between 1.3 keV and 3 keV can be enhanced of an order of magnitude compared to the baseline mode of operation. This option can be implemented into the tunable-gap SASE3 baseline undulator without additional hardware, and it is complementary to the self-seeding option with grating monochromator proposed for the same undulator line, which can cover the photon energy range between about 0.26 keV and 1 keV.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2013

Extension of SASE bandwidth up to 2% as a way to increase the efficiency of protein structure determination by x-ray nanocrystallography at the European XFEL

Femtosecond x-ray nanocrystallography exploiting XFEL radiation is an emerging method for protein structure determination using crystals with sizes ranging from a few tens to a few hundreds nanometers. Crystals are randomly hit by XFEL pulses, producing diffraction patterns at unknown orientations. One can determine these orientations by studying the diffraction patterns themselves, i.e. by indexing the Bragg peaks. The number of indexed individual images and the SASE bandwidth are inherently linked, because increasing the number of Bragg peaks per individual image requires increasing the bandwidth of the spectrum. This calls for a few percent SASE bandwidth, resulting in an increase in the number of indexed images at the same number of hits. Based on start-to-end simulations for the baseline of the European XFEL, we demonstrate here that it is possible to achieve up to a tenfold increase in SASE bandwidth, compared with the nominal mode of operation. This provides a route for further increasing the efficiency of protein structure determination at the European XFEL. We illustrate this concept with simulations of lysozyme nanocrystals.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2013

Proposal for a scheme to generate 10 TW-level femtosecond x-ray pulses for imaging single protein molecules at the European XFEL

Single biomolecular imaging using XFEL radiation is an emerging method for protein structure determination using the "diffraction before destruction" method at near atomic resolution. Crucial parameters for such bio-imaging experiments are photon energy range, peak power, pulse duration, and transverse coherence. The largest diffraction signals are achieved at the longest wavelength that supports a given resolution, which should be better than 0.3 nm. We propose a configuration which combines self-seeding and undulator tapering techniques with the emittance-spoiler method in order to increase the XFEL output peak power and to shorten the pulse duration up to a level sufficient for performing bio-imaging of single protein molecules at the optimal photon energy range, i.e. around 4 keV. Experiments at the LCLS confirmed the feasibility of these three new techniques. Based on start-to-end simulations we demonstrate that self-seeding, combined with undulator tapering, allows one to achieve up to a 100-fold increase in peak-power. A slotted foil in the last bunch compressor is added for x-ray pulse duration control. Simulations indicate that one can achieve diffraction to the desired resolution with 50 mJ (corresponding to 1e14 photons) per 10 fs pulse at 3.5 keV photon energy in a 100 nm focus. This result is exemplified using the photosystem I membrane protein as a case study.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2013

Grating monochromator for soft X-ray self-seeding the European XFEL

Self-seeding is a promising approach to significantly narrow the SASE bandwidth of XFELs to produce nearly transform-limited pulses. The implementation of this method in the soft X-ray wavelength range necessarily involves gratings as dispersive elements. We study a very compact self-seeding scheme with a grating monochromator originally designed at SLAC, which can be straightforwardly installed in the SASE3 type undulator beamline at the European XFEL. The monochromator design is based on a toroidal VLS grating working at a fixed incidence angle mounting without entrance slit. It covers the spectral range from 300 eV to 1000 eV. The optical system was studied using wave optics method (in comparison with ray tracing) to evaluate the performance of the self-seeding scheme. Our wave optics analysis takes into account the actual beam wavefront of the radiation from the coherent FEL source, third order aberrations, and errors from each optical element. Wave optics is the only method available, in combination with FEL simulations, for the design of a self-seeding monochromator without exit slit. We show that, without exit slit, the self-seeding scheme is distinguished by the much needed experimental simplicity, and can practically give the same resolving power (about 7000) as with an exit slit. Wave optics is also naturally applicable to calculations of the self-seeding scheme efficiency, which include the monochromator transmittance and the effect of the mismatching between seed beam and electron beam. Simulations show that the FEL power reaches 1 TW and that the spectral density for a TW pulse is about two orders of magnitude higher than that for the SASE pulse at saturation.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2013

Wake monochromator in asymmetric and symmetric Bragg and Laue geometry for self-seeding the European X-ray FEL

We discuss the use of self-seeding schemes with wake monochromators to produce TW power, fully coherent pulses for applications at the dedicated bio-imaging bealine at the European X-ray FEL, a concept for an upgrade of the facility beyond the baseline previously proposed by the authors. We exploit the asymmetric and symmetric Bragg and Laue reflections (sigma polarization) in diamond crystal. Optimization of the bio-imaging beamline is performed with extensive start-to-end simulations, which also take into account effects such as the spatio-temporal coupling caused by the wake monochromator. The spatial shift is maximal in the range for small Bragg angles. A geometry with Bragg angles close to pi/2 would be a more advantageous option from this viewpoint, albeit with decrease of the spectral tunability. We show that it will be possible to cover the photon energy range from 3 keV to 13 keV by using four different planes of the same crystal with one rotational degree of freedom.

physics.acc-ph↗