Elimination of X-Ray Diffraction through Stimulated X-Ray Transmission

Phys Rev Lett. 2016 Jul 8;117(2):027401. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.027401. Epub 2016 Jul 6.

Abstract

X-ray diffractive imaging with laterally coherent x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses is increasingly utilized to obtain ultrafast snapshots of matter. Here we report the amazing disappearance of single-shot charge and magnetic diffraction patterns recorded with resonantly tuned, narrow bandwidth XFEL pulses. Our experimental results reveal the exquisite sensitivity of single-shot charge and magnetic diffraction patterns of a magnetic film to the onset of field-induced stimulated elastic x-ray forward scattering. The loss in diffraction contrast, measured over 3 orders of magnitude in intensity, is in remarkable quantitative agreement with a recent theory that is extended to include diffraction.