Implementing time-resolution measurements by following the stroboscopic approach at MISTRAL.

Time-resolved X-ray microscopy enables the investigation of dynamic processes in materials with nanometer spatial and picosecond temporal resolution. To establish this capability at the Transmission X-ray Microscope at MISTRAL, we propose an experiment to test the stroboscopic imaging approach using the synchrotron light as probe signal. The pulsed time structure of the synchrotron provides naturally bunched X-ray flashes that can be synchronized with a periodic excitation of the sample. By varying the relative phase between excitation and detection, successive measurements capture different stages of the sample’s dynamic response, allowing the reconstruction of a full temporal evolution through averaging over many identical cycles.  In this experiment we will probe the synchronization scheme, timing stability, and detection sensitivity of the TXM under stroboscopic operation. Successful implementation will demonstrate the feasibility of probing magnetization or structural dynamics at nanometer length scales and sub-nanosecond timescales. The results will establish the methodological procedure for future time-resolved studies of fast phenomena in magnetic and other nanoscale functional materials.