Femtosecond Single-Shot Imaging of Nanoscale Ferromagnetic Order inCo/PdMultilayers Using Resonant X-Ray Holography

We present the first single-shot images of ferromagnetic, nanoscale spin order taken with femtosecond x-ray pulses. X-ray-induced electron and spin dynamics can be outrun with pulses shorter than 80 fs in the investigated fluence regime, and no permanent aftereffects in the samples are observed below a fluence of 25 mJ/cm2. Employing resonant spatially muliplexed x-ray holography results in a low imaging threshold of 5 mJ/cm2. Our results open new ways to combine ultrafast laser spectroscopy with sequential snapshot imaging on a single sample, generating a movie of excited state dynamics.Received 14 January 2012DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.267403© 2012 American Physical Society