Moiré method for nanometer instability investigation of scanning hard x-ray microscopes.

We present a Moiré method that can be used to investigate positional instabilities in a scanning hard x-ray microscope with nanometer precision. The development of diffraction-limited storage rings offering highly-brilliant synchrotron radiation and improvements of nanofocusing x-ray optics paves the way towards 3D nanotomography with 10 nm resolution or below. However, this trend demands improved designs of x-ray microscope instruments which should offer few-nm beam stabilities with respect to the sample. Our technique can measure the position of optics and sample stage relative to each other in the two directions perpendicular to the beam propagation in a scanning x-ray microscope using simple optical components and visible light. The usefulness of the method was proven by measuring short and long term instabilities of a zone-plate-optics-based prototype microscope. We think it can become an important tool for the characterization of scanning x-ray microscopes, especially prior to experiments with an actual x-ray beam.

Dynamic control of optical transmission through a nano-slit using surface plasmons.

We demonstrate how the optical transmission by a directly illuminated, sub-wavelength slit in a metal film can be dynamically controlled by varying the incident beam's phase relative to that of a stream of surface plasmon polaritions which are generated at a nearby grating. The transmission can be smoothly altered from its maximum value to practically zero. The results from a simple model and from rigorous numerical simulations are in excellent agreement with our experimental results. Our method may be applied in all-optical switching.

Ronchi test for characterization of X-ray nanofocusing optics and beamlines.

A Ronchi interferometer for hard X-rays is reported in order to characterize the performance of the nanofocusing optics as well as the beamline stability. Characteristic interference fringes yield qualitative data on present aberrations in the optics. Moreover, the visibility of the fringes on the detector gives information on the degree of spatial coherence in the beamline. This enables the possibility to detect sources of instabilities in the beamline like vibrations of components or temperature drift. Examples are shown for two different nanofocusing hard X-ray optics: a compound refractive lens and a zone plate.

Horizontal slot waveguide channel for enhanced Raman scattering.

Herein we characterize and experimentally demonstrate a new type of a horizontal slot waveguide structure for remarkably enhanced Raman scattering detection in nanometer-scale void channels. As the measurement sensitivity is one of the key limiting factors in nanofluidic detection, it is essential to search advanced solutions for such detection. Combining an all dielectric resonance waveguide grating and a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate in a close proximity it is possible to create high electromagnetic field energy hot zones within an adjustable slot region. This results in a strong enhancement in Raman scattering. We show the theoretical principles and demonstrate, with rhodamine 6G molecules, an approximately 20-fold enhancement compared to a conventional SERS substrate within the corresponding slot arrangement. We foresee potential applications for the proposed approach in the fields of medical, biological and chemical sensing, where the high detection sensitivity is essential due to integration with nanofluidic devices.

Strong fluorescence-signal gain with single-excitation-enhancing and emission-directing nanostructured diffraction grating.

A dielectric subwavelength diffraction grating structure is designed and fabricated in order to enhance fluorescence-based detection of biomolecules. Two separate phenomena, enhancement of the local energy densities of the excitation illumination and direction of the emitted signal toward the detector, are examined theoretically and experimentally. 530-fold enhancement of detected signal is achieved compared with the signal from flat surface. Also, changes in polarization and coherence properties of the fluorescent light are found to be remarkable.

Perfect X-ray focusing via fitting corrective glasses to aberrated optics.

Due to their short wavelength, X-rays can in principle be focused down to a few nanometres and below. At the same time, it is this short wavelength that puts stringent requirements on X-ray optics and their metrology. Both are limited by today's technology. In this work, we present accurate at wavelength measurements of residual aberrations of a refractive X-ray lens using ptychography to manufacture a corrective phase plate. Together with the fitted phase plate the optics shows diffraction-limited performance, generating a nearly Gaussian beam profile with a Strehl ratio above 0.8. This scheme can be applied to any other focusing optics, thus solving the X-ray optical problem at synchrotron radiation sources and X-ray free-electron lasers.

Free-field characterization via directional transmission through a nanoaperture.

: We propose a scheme based on extraordinary transmission of light through a single nanoaperture, surrounded by periodic corrugations, for direct characterization of focal-region optical fields with subwavelength-scale structure. We describe the design of the device on the basis of rigorous diffraction theory and fabricate a prototype using a process that involves electron beam lithography, dry etching, and template stripping. First experimental results performed with a transmission-type confocal optical microscope demonstrate the potential of the method.