Time-resolved energy-dispersive diffraction from X-FEL spontaneous emission: a proposal for sub-picosecond pumps & probe structural investigations

The forthcoming generation of X-ray machines, based on Free Electron Laser (X-FEL) technology, should provide ultra-short pulses that may be used to probe the real-time structural evolution of a system activated by an optical laser pump. Unfortunately, the sub-picosecond synchronization of the pump and probe pulses produced by two independent sources is, at present, one of the main obstacles that needs to be overcome. Here we propose a new approach for carrying out time-resolved diffraction studies of evolving systems, which aims to bypass the synchronization problem.