Infrared Femtosecond Laser System

The Water Window X-ray Microscope Project is a new EPSRC-funded collaboration between the University of Southampton's School of Chemistry and Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), the Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI), and the Central Laser Facility (CLF) at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories. The project will design and construct a lab-scale soft X-ray microscope for biological imaging using soft X-rays generated using ultrafast lasers and applying coherent diffractive imaging techniques. Suitable coherent X-ray radiation will be generated using high harmonic generation (HHG), requiring high intensity femtosecond pulses in the infrared spectral region. The signal requirements for imaging mean that a high repetition rate system is necessary. The intended end product will be a microscope that will be available to users for biological imaging.