Mirrors consisting of Al2O3 and Ta2O5 (∼2 nm film thickness) nanolaminates for hard x-ray wavelengths were produced by atomic layer deposition and characterized. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) proved extremely smooth surfaces of the mirrors, which are critical for highest reflectance. TEM images showed sharp interfaces between the oxides. The experimental x-ray reflectivity data were theoretically modeled and indicated minimal random thickness variations in the individual layers. Additionally, a depth graded sample with a total thickness of ∼4 μm for focusing applications in transmission (Laue) geometry and capillaries was coated.

A new wavelength - dispersive X-ray spectrometer for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been developed. This spectrometer can cover an energy range from 50 eV to 1120 eV by using an array made of seventeen reflection zone plates. Soft X-ray emission spectra of simple elements of Li, Be, B, C, N, Ti, V, O, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Ga were measured. The overall energy resolving power on the order of E/ΔE ~80 to 160 has been demonstrated. Spectrometer with 200 reflection zone plates has been used as a multi-channel analyser in the energy range of 100 - 1000 eV for quasi - continuous spectra measurements. The predicted energy-resolving power on the order of E/ΔE = 50 has been achieved in the entire energy range.

A novel fiber technology is presented that enables the transmission of 200 nm wide spectra over meter‐long distances with minimal temporal reshaping and acceptable losses down to about 3 dB/m. Delivery of a 10 fs pulse over nearly meter distance is experimentally demonstrated, which sets a new standard for the fiber‐based delivery of few‐cycle pulses. Numerical simulations provide insight into the unique guiding mechanism in the novel hollow‐core fiber technology, enabling dispersion parameters that are within an order of magnitude of those available in free space propagation.

We demonstrate femtosecond operation of a Nd-doped mi-crostructure fiber laser. The fiber provides gain and anomalous dispersion at the lasing wavelength of 1.06 microm and enables the construction of short and simple cavity designs. The laser is passively mode-locked by the combined action of a saturable absorber mirror, fiber nonlinearity, and dispersion and produces transform limited sub-400-fs pulses with a pulse energy as high as 100 pJ.

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