Ultrafast Structural Dynamics Using Time-Resolved X-Ray Diffraction Driven By Relativistic Laser Pulses*

Based on a femtosecond laser plasma-induced hard x-ray source with a high laser pulse energy (> 100 mJ) at 10 Hz repetition rate, we present a time-resolved x-ray diffraction system on an ultrafast time scale. The laser intensity is at relativistic regime (2 x 10(19) W/cm(2)), which is essential for effectively generating K-alpha source in high-Z metal material. The produced copper K-alpha radiation yield reaches to 2.5 x 10(8) photons/sr/shot. The multilayer mirrors are optimized for monochromatizating and two-dimensional beam shaping of K-alpha emission. Our experiment exhibits its ability of monitoring the transient structural changes in a thin film SrCoO2.5 crystal. It is demonstrated that this facility is a powerful tool to perform dynamic studies on samples and adaptable to the specific needs for different particular applications with high flexibility.