Understanding topological spin textures is important because of scientific interests and technological applications. However, observing nanoscale magnetization and mapping out their interactions in 3D have been challenging–due to the lack of nondestructive vector nanoimaging techniques that penetrate thick samples. Recently, we developed a new characterization technique, soft x-ray vector ptycho-tomography, to image spin textures with a 3D vector spatial resolution of 10 nm. Using 3D magnetic metamaterial as an example, we demonstrated the creation and observation of topological magnetic monopoles and their interactions. We expect this method to be applied broadly to image vector fields in magnetic samples and beyond.
Here we present soft X-ray linear dichroic ptychography developed at the COherent Scattering and MICroscopy (COSMIC) beamline at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) by studying biominerals—complex 3D hierarchically structured mineral-organic composite materials—produced by living organisms. Sequences of soft x-ray ptychography images at varying EPU polarizations were acquired, which principally allows visualization and orientation mapping of complex biogenic ultrastructures with spatial resolution down to 8 nm. These correlative data not only shed light on key mechanisms of the formation and mechanical principles of these composites but also demonstrate the capabilities and limitations of this newly developed technique, such as orientational precision, angular resolution and thickness related restrictions.
Time resolved x-ray microscopy allows researchers to investigate variation of the electronic structure of a material during chemical, structural or magnetic changes with picosecond time resolution. In this talk we will show how such a microscope can be realized using a field programming gate array in combination with a fast point detector. We will show results based on an existing setup, e.g. movies of spin waves in confined magnetic structures with a periodicity of a few ns, but also describe how this method can be extended to dynamical processes with longer observation times using state of the art FPGA technology. Time resolved measurements with high spatial resolution will be an important part of research at future x-ray sources like e.g. ALS-U.
Recent plans for x-ray synchrotrons to upgrade to new high brightness lattices have created great excitement about the potential for coherent x-ray imaging to provide a view of nano-materials with high spatial and temporal resolution. However, with increased x-ray brightness comes the inherent risk of radiation damage and the limited speed of current experimental systems. The Advanced Light Source has an extensive program in coherent scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) and ptychographic imaging with four beamlines covering an energy range of 200 to 2500 eV. Current instrument development efforts are focused on high-dynamic scanning for increased speed and the use of fast x-ray pixel detectors for high resolution ptychographic imaging. Our new microscope, called Nanosurveyor2, can scan at rates of up to 1 mm per second and has achieved a resolution of 3 times the x-ray wavelength. Using this system, we are developing novel scan trajectories and low dose imaging methods which combine high speed conventional STXM imaging with high resolution ptychography. Principal component analysis is used to extract high statistics spectra from noisy and low-resolution STXM data which are then used to _t a small number of ptychographic images for high spatial resolution chemical mapping with relatively low dose. We consider applications in the energy sciences where x-ray exposure has been observed to reduce the oxidation state of relevant compounds.
The coherent soft x-ray and full polarization control (CSX) beamline at the National Synchrotron Light Source -
II (NSLS-II) will deliver 1013 coherent photons per second in the energy range of 0.2-2 keV with a resolving power
of 2000. The source, a dual elliptically polarizing undulator (EPU), and beamline optics should be optimized to
deliver the highest possible coherent flux in a 10-30 μm spot for use in coherent scattering experiments. Using
the computer code Synchrotron Radiation Workshop (SRW), we simulate the photon source and focusing optics
in order to investigate the conditions which provide the highest usable coherent intensity on the sample. In
particular, we find that an intermediate phasing magnet is needed to correct for the relative phase between the
two EPUs and that the optimum phase setting produces a spectrum in which the desired wavelength is slightly
red-shifted thus requiring a larger aperture than originally anticipated. This setting is distinct from that which
produces an on-axis spectrum similar to a single long undulator. Furthermore, partial coherence calculations,
utilizing a multiple electron approach, indicate that a high degree of spatial coherence is still obtained at the
sample location when such an aperture is used. The aperture size which maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio
of a double-slit experiment is explored. This combination of high coherence and intensity is ideally suited for
x-ray ptychography experiments which reconstruct the scattering density from micro-diffraction patterns. This
technique is briefly reviewed and the effects on the image quality of proximity to the beamline focus are explored.
Partially-coherent wavefront propagation calculations have proven to be feasible and very beneficial in the design of
beamlines for 3rd and 4th generation Synchrotron Radiation (SR) sources. These types of calculations use the framework
of classical electrodynamics for the description, on the same accuracy level, of the emission by relativistic electrons
moving in magnetic fields of accelerators, and the propagation of the emitted radiation wavefronts through beamline
optical elements. This enables accurate prediction of performance characteristics for beamlines exploiting high SR
brightness and/or high spectral flux. Detailed analysis of radiation degree of coherence, offered by the partially-coherent
wavefront propagation method, is of paramount importance for modern storage-ring based SR sources, which, thanks to
extremely small sub-nanometer-level electron beam emittances, produce substantial portions of coherent flux in X-ray
spectral range. We describe the general approach to partially-coherent SR wavefront propagation simulations and present
examples of such simulations performed using "Synchrotron Radiation Workshop" (SRW) code for the parameters of
hard X-ray undulator based beamlines at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), Brookhaven National
Laboratory. These examples illustrate general characteristics of partially-coherent undulator radiation beams in low-emittance
SR sources, and demonstrate advantages of applying high-accuracy physical-optics simulations to the
optimization and performance prediction of X-ray optical beamlines in these new sources.
We have designed and commissioned an apparatus for serial crystallography of hydrated proteins at the Advanced Light
Source. Serial crystallography is a recently proposed method of imaging uncrystallized proteins at a third generation
synchrotron source. This paper describes the design of the apparatus and results from the first experiment, which
recorded x-ray diffraction patterns from 8 micron droplets containing photosystem 1 protein molecules.
The consequences of light scattering from both spherical and non-spherical particles on the propagation of light in the ocean were investigated. The scattering from an ensemble of non- spherical micro-organisms is calculated using the coupled-dipole approximation with an orientational average over Euler angles using Gauss-Legendre integration. Mie calculations provide rigorous solutions for spherical particles and are considerably less computer intensive than the coupled-dipole approximation. Furthermore, they have been shown to accurately predict the scattering for marine organisms that are nearly spherical. Scattering matrix elements calculated using the coupled-dipole approximation were compared with those obtained using Mie calculations in the limit as an ellipsoidal object approaches a sphere in order to assess the limits of applicability of the Mie theory to ellipsoidal particles. Experimental measurements of the scattering matrix elements for spherical particles (latex spheres) and ellipsoidal particles (Bacillus subtilis) were used to test the validity of our analytical approach.
Comparisons are made between a refined model using coupled-dipole theory and the first Born approximation for light scattering from helices. The use of the first Born approximation to model polarized light scattering from a thin wire helix is further developed in order to include all sixteen Mueller scattering matrix elements. (The Mueller matrix fully describes how a structure alters the polarization state of light upon scattering). Comparisons of predicted Mueller matrices between the two theories show that, in some cases, good agreement is obtained. The predicted Mueller matrix for an ensemble of randomly oriented helices using the first Born approximation is calculated. The models based on the first Born approximation and on coupled-dipole theory were also compared to data taken from octopus sperm. We conclude that the first Born approximation may be useful for predicting some elements such as S14 (the matrix element that describes the depolarization of incident circularly polarized light), but for other elements the coupled-dipole theory is better suited.
Light scattering measurements were performed on single, immobilized dinoflagellates as well as on suspensions of the species Prorocentrum micans. The normalized Mueller scattering matrix element S14, which indicates an ability to depolarize circularly polarized light, is reported for both cases. The measurements involving single cells were performed on Prorocentrum micans, Gonyaulax polyhedra, and Crypthecodinium cohnii. The results show that the previously reported large S14 signal is not peculiar to P. micans. Time-dependent measurements of live cultures of P. micans show a large, high-frequency S14 signal. This signal is a diurnal function of the time of day, with a maximum at midnight. Investigations of the relationship between single cell and suspension measurements reveal that the large angle- dependent S14 peaks from immobilized single dinoflagellates are responsible for a large time-dependent S14 signal at 90 degree(s) in suspension measurements. The results of these experiments provide further evidence for the hypothesis that the chromosomes of the dinoflagellates are responsible for the large observed S14 signals. The unusual depolarization properties of dinoflagellates should be considered when using polarized light to enhance image contrast in underwater imaging.
The polarization state of light in the ocean can be used to enhance visibility. The consequences of scattering from nonspherically-symmetric particles on light propagation and visibility in the ocean was investigated. To calculate scattering from nonspherical marine microorganisms, it is usually necessary to resort to approximate methods. One promising approximation is the coupled-dipole approach in which an arbitrarily-shaped object is divided into a number of identical elements arranged on a cubic lattice. Each element is treated as a spherical, dipolar oscillator with its polarizability specified by the real and imaginary parts of the index of refraction. Interactions between dipoles are included by determining the field at a particular dipole due to the incident field and the fields induced by the other dipole oscillators. The scattered field is then the sum of the fields due to each oscillator. The coupled-dipole method is promising because, in principle, an organism of any shape can be modeled, and all 16 elements of the scattering matrix calculated. This approach has been applied to calculate scattering from spherical particles to verify the limits of the approximation, and from other shapes to investigate the effects of nonsphericity and chirality on scattering. In particular, all 16 Mueller matrix elements for the scattering were calculated from a finite cylinder, a single- strand helix, 14-strand helix, and ensembles of these particles. The effects of pitch, size, wavelength, and complex index of refraction were investigated. The results provide insights into the magnitude and type of depolarization effects associated with various marine microorganisms containing these structures.
The S11 and S14 scattering matrix elements were measured for light scattered from single dinoflagellates and single irregularly-shaped, alumina particles suspended in a transparent gel. The S14 matrix element indicates the degree of circularly-polarized light induced on incident unpolarized light. The S4 signal from the dinoflagellates was found to be significantly larger than that measured for the alumina particles. The nucleus of the dinofiagellate investigated, Prorocentrum micans, contains about 50 structurally complex, chromosomes with a helical structure. This work provides evidence in support of the hypothesis that the observed S14 signal produced by the light scattering from P. micans is due to the helical nature of their chromosomes.
This paper investigates the wavelength dependence of the polarization characteristics of light scattered from laboratory cultures of marine Clzlorella. Scattering measurements were obtained using a scanning polarization-modulation nephelometer at wavelengths of 457 and 514 nm. The experimental data are corrected for non-spherical contributions and the resulting curves compared to Mie calculations of coated spheres with a Gaussian size distribution. Although the absorption of Chiorella has been reported to be strongly wavelength-dependent in the blue to green region of the spectrum, the scattering behavior changes very little. To verify the sensitivity of the scattering technique to changes in the imaginary refractive index, measurements were performed on absorbing and non-absorbing suspensions of wellcharacterized, coated copolymer particles. In all cases, the angle-dependent measurements and calculations were compared for four elements of the 16 element Mueller scattering matrix at two wavelengths. In the past, comparison of scattering models and measurements were generally performed for only the total intensity (one element of the scattering matrix). The use of four elements provides a much more stringent test of scattering calculations than those based on a single element. Using this method we are able to infer information about the internal structure and refractive indices of microscopic single cell organisms in vivo.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.