Attosecond X-ray Solid-state Dynamics Instrument at the LCLS

The Attosecond X-ray Solid-state Dynamics (AXSD) instrument, a newly developed tool at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), opens unprecedented avenues for studying ultrafast dynamics in solid-state materials. This instrument is designed to perform attosecond X-ray transient absorption measurements by leveraging the LCLS’s angle-resolving electron ToF spectrometer (MRCO) to provide sub-cycle phase tagging between the strong driving field and the attosecond soft X-ray probe.



The soft X-ray regime available with the LCLS will provide insights into light-induced states in complex materials that have remained inaccessible with traditional extreme ultraviolet (XUV) attosecond pulses from high harmonic generation (HHG) sources. While XUV is limited in probing depth and breadth of accessible elemental edges, soft X-rays enable studies of thicker materials and the highly-localized, less convoluted K-edge core levels needed to disentangle more intricate electronic structures.



By utilizing attosecond soft X-ray pulses, the AXSD will revolutionize our understanding of ultrafast light-driven processes in materials, from petahertz electronics to quantum topological systems, paving the way for future technological breakthroughs. This talk will discuss the design and capabilities of the AXSD instrument, and possible preliminary results from the first experiment, which will happen in December 2024.