5-Femtosecond Laser-Electron Synchronization for Pump-Probe Crystallography and Diffraction

Abstract

For improving the temporal resolution in ultrafast pump-probe electron or x-ray diffraction, we report a laser-electron synchronization concept via direct microwave extraction from the laser frequency comb combined with phase detection by fiber-loop interferometry, in situ drift correction via electron-energy analysis, and laser-electron streaking for final timing metrology. We achieve a laser-electron jitter below 5 fs (rms) integrated between 8 min and Nyquist period (400 ns). Slower drifts are also below 5 fs (rms) after active compensation. This result helps advance femtosecond crystallography with electrons or x rays to the regime of fundamental atomic-scale dynamics and light-matter interaction.