High-fluence and high-gain multilayer focusing optics to enhance spatial resolution in femtosecond X-ray laser imaging.

ABSTRACT: With the emergence of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) has acquired a capability for single-particle imaging (SPI) of non-crystalline objects under non-cryogenic conditions. However, the single-shot spatial resolution is limited to ~5 nanometres primarily because of insufficient fluence. Here, we present a CDI technique whereby high resolution is achieved with very-high-fluence X-ray focusing using multilayer mirrors with nanometre precision. The optics can focus 4-keV XFEL down to 60 nm × 110 nm and realize a fluence of >3 × 10⁵ J cm^-2 pulse^-1 or >4 × 10¹² photons μm^-2 pulse^-1 with a tenfold increase in the total gain compared to conventional optics due to the high demagnification. Further, the imaging of fixed-target metallic nanoparticles in solution attained an unprecedented 2-nm resolution in single-XFEL-pulse exposure. These findings can further expand the capabilities of SPI to explore the relationships between dynamic structures and functions of native biomolecular complexes.

SUBMITTER: Yumoto H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9470745 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature