Ultrafast X-ray diffraction of laser-irradiated crystals

Coherent acoustic phonons have been observed in the X-ray diffraction of a laser-excited InSb crystal. Modeling based on time-dependent dynamical diffraction theory has allowed the extraction of fundamental constants, such as the electron-acoustic phonon coupling time. A dedicated beamline for time-resolved studies has been developed at the Advanced Light Source with special considerations toward high transmission, low scattering and a wide photon energy range. The facility combines a bend magnet beamline, time-resolved detectors and a femtosecond laser system.