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Topological materials are of great interest because they can support metallic edge or surface states that are robust against perturbations, with the potential for technological applications. Here we experimentally explore the light-induced non-equilibrium properties of two distinct topological phases in NaCd4As3: a topological crystalline insulator (TCI) phase and a topological insulator (TI) phase. This material has surface states that are protected by mirror symmetry in the TCI phase at room temperature, while it undergoes a structural phase transition to a TI phase below 200 K. After exciting the TI phase by an ultrafast laser pulse, we observe a leading band edge shift of >150 meV, that slowly builds up and reaches a maximum after ~0.6 ps, and that persists for ~8 ps. The slow rise time of the excited electron population and electron temperature suggests that the electronic and structural orders are strongly coupled in this TI phase. It also suggests that the directly excited electronic states and the probed electronic states are weakly coupled. Both couplings are likely due to a partial relaxation of the lattice distortion, which is known to be associated with the TI phase. In contrast, no distinct excited state is observed in the TCI phase immediately or after photoexcitation, which we attribute to the low density of states and phase space available near the Fermi level. Our results show how ultrafast laser excitation can reveal the distinct excited states and interactions in phase-rich topological materials., Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, added theoretical insight in the discussion section and modified abstract, corrected typos and rephrased sentences, results and figures unchanged, added a co-author involved in sample preparation

$TbMn_{6}Sn_{6}$ is a ferrimagnetic material which exhibits a highly unusual phase transition near room temperature where spins remain collinear while the total magnetic moment rotates from out-of-plane to in-plane. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have been studied in the quasi-static limit and the reorientation has been attributed to the competing anisotropies of Tb and Mn, whose magnetic moments have very different temperature dependencies. In this work, we present the first measurement of the spin-reorientation transition in $TbMn_{6}Sn_{6}$. By probing very small signals with the transverse magneto-optical Kerr effect (TMOKE) at the Mn M-edge, we show that the re-orientation timescale spans from 12 ps to 24 ps, depending on the laser excitation fluence. We then verify these data with a simple model of spin precession with a temperature-dependent magnetocrystalline anisotropy field to show that the spin reorientation timescale is consistent with the reorientation being driven by very large anisotropies energies on approximately $\approx$ meV scales. Promisingly, the model predicts a possibility of 180o reorientation of the out-of-plane moment over a range of excitation fluences. This could facilitate optically controlled magnetization switching between very stable ground states, which could have useful applications in spintronics or data storage.

We investigate the case of phase-matched high-harmonic generation in a gas-filled capillary waveguide, comparing in detail theory with experiment. We observe three different regimes of phase matching: one where atomic dispersion balances waveguide dispersion, another corresponding to non-collinear Cerenkov phase-matching, and a third where atomic dispersion and plasma dispersion balance. The role of atomic dispersion is demonstrated by studying the dependence of the harmonic signal for several gases. We also predict and provide preliminary evidence of a regime where phase-matching occurs only at specific fractional ionization levels, leading to an output signal that is sensitive to the absolute phase of the carrier wave., Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures

We demonstrate that phase-matched frequency upconversion of ultrafast laser light can be extended to shorter wavelengths by using longer driving laser wavelengths. Experimentally, we show that the phase-matching cutoff for harmonic generation in argon increases from 45 to 100 eV when the driving laser wavelength is increased from 0.8 to 1.3 micrometers. Phase matching is also obtained at higher pressures using a longer-wavelength driving laser, mitigating the unfavorable scaling of the single-atom response. Theoretical calculations suggest that phase-matched high harmonic frequency upconversion driven by mid-infrared pulses could be extended to extremely high photon energies., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures

Next-generation nano and quantum devices have increasingly complex 3D structure. As the dimensions of these devices shrink to the nanoscale, their performance is often governed by interface quality or precise chemical or dopant composition. Here we present the first phase-sensitive extreme ultraviolet imaging reflectometer. It combines the excellent phase stability of coherent high-harmonic sources, the unique chemical- and phase-sensitivity of extreme ultraviolet reflectometry, and state-of-the-art ptychography imaging algorithms. This tabletop microscope can non-destructively probe surface topography, layer thicknesses, and interface quality, as well as dopant concentrations and profiles. High-fidelity imaging was achieved by implementing variable-angle ptychographic imaging, by using total variation regularization to mitigate noise and artifacts in the reconstructed image, and by using a high-brightness, high-harmonic source with excellent intensity and wavefront stability. We validate our measurements through multiscale, multimodal imaging to show that this technique has unique advantages compared with other techniques based on electron and scanning-probe microscopies., Comment: 47 pages, 16 figures (4 in main text, 12 supplement) 2 tables

We show how bright, fully coherent, hard x-ray beams can be generated through nonlinear upconversion of femtosecond laser light. By using longer-wavelength mid-infrared driving lasers of moderate peak intensity, full phase matching of the high harmonic generation process can extend, in theory, into the hard x-ray region of the spectrum. We identify the dominant phase matching mechanism for long wavelength driving lasers, and verify our predictions experimentally by demonstrating phase-matched up-conversion into the soft x-ray region of the spectrum around 330 eV using an extended, high-pressure, gas medium that is weakly ionized by the laser. Scaling of the overall conversion efficiency is surprisingly favorable as the wavelength of the driving laser is increased, making useful, fully coherent, multi-keV x-ray sources feasible. Finally, we show that the rapidly decreasing microscopic single-atom yield at longer driving wavelengths is compensated macroscopically by an increasing optimal pressure for phase matching and a rapidly decreasing reabsorption of the generated light at higher photon energies., Comment: 43 pages, 8 figures, 1 table

Coherent diffractive imaging is unique as the only route for achieving diffraction-limited spatial resolution in the extreme ultraviolet and X-ray regions, limited only by the wavelength of the light. Recently, advances in coherent short wavelength light sources, coupled with progress in algorithm development, have significantly enhanced the power of x-ray imaging. However, to date, high-fidelity diffraction imaging of periodic objects has been a challenge because the scattered light is concentrated in isolated peaks. Here, we use tabletop 13.5nm high harmonic beams to make two significant advances. First we demonstrate high-quality imaging of an extended, nearly-periodic sample for the first time. Second, we achieve sub-wavelength spatial resolution (12.6nm) imaging at short wavelengths, also for the first time. The key to both advances is a novel technique called modulus enforced probe, which enables robust, quantitative, reconstructions of periodic objects. This work is important for imaging next generation nano-engineered devices., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures

We present spatial coherence measurements of extreme-ultraviolet light generated using the process of high-harmonic upconversion of a femtosecond laser. Using a phase-matched hollow-fiber geometry, the generated beam is found to exhibit essentially full spatial coherence. The coherence of this laser-like EUV source is demonstrated by recording Gabor holograms of small objects. This work demonstrates the capability to do EUV holography using a tabletop experimental setup. Such an EUV source, with low divergence and high spatial coherence, can be used for experiments such as high-precision metrology, inspection of optical components for EUV lithography (1), and for microscopy and holography (2) with nanometer resolution. Furthermore, the short time duration of the EUV radiation (a few femtoseconds) will enable EUV microscopy and holography to be performed with ultrahigh time resolution., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures

Phase-matched harmonic conversion of visible laser light into soft x-rays was demonstrated. The recently developed technique of guided-wave frequency conversion was used to upshift light from 800 nanometers to the range from 17 to 32 nanometers. This process increased the coherent x-ray output by factors of 10^2 to 10^3 compared to the non-phase-matched case. This source uses a small-scale (sub-millijoule) high repetition-rate laser and will enable a wide variety of new experimental investigations in linear and nonlinear x-ray science., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures

High harmonic generation traditionally combines ~100 near-infrared laser photons, to generate bright, phase matched, extreme ultraviolet beams when the emission from many atoms adds constructively. Here we show that by guiding a mid-infrared femtosecond laser in a high pressure gas, ultrahigh harmonics can be generated up to orders > 5000, that emerge as a bright supercontinuum that spans the entire electromagnetic spectrum from the ultraviolet to > 1.6 keV, allowing in-principle the generation of pulses as short as 2.5 attoseconds. The multi-atmosphere gas pressures required for bright, phase matched emission also supports laser beam self-confinement, further enhancing the x-ray yield. Finally, the x-ray beam exhibits high spatial coherence, even though at high gas density, the recolliding electrons responsible for high harmonic generation encounter other atoms during the emission process., Comment: 32 pages, 9 figures (4 in main text, 5 in supplemental materials)

We use soft x-ray vector-ptychographic tomography to determine the three-dimensional magnetization field in superparamagnetic nanoparticles self-assembled at the liquid-liquid interface and reveal the magnetic order induced by layered structure. The spins in individual nanoparticles become more aligned with increasing number of layers, resulting in a larger net magnetization. Our experimental results show a magnetic short-range order in the monolayer due to the proliferation of thermally induced magnetic vortices and a magnetic long-range order in the bilayer and trilayer, stemming from the strengthened dipolar interactions that effectively suppress thermal fluctuations. We also observe a screening effect of magnetic vortices and the attractive interaction between the magnetic vortices with opposite topological charges. Our work demonstrates the crucial role of layered structure in shaping the magnetization of nanoparticle assemblies, providing new opportunities to modulate these properties through strategic layer engineering.

The direct manipulation of spins via light may provide a path toward ultrafast energy-efficient devices. However, distinguishing the microscopic processes that can occur during ultrafast laser excitation in magnetic alloys is challenging. Here, we study the Heusler compound Co2MnGa, a material that exhibits very strong light-induced spin transfers across the entire M-edge. By combining the element-specificity of extreme ultraviolet high harmonic probes with time-dependent density functional theory, we disentangle the competition between three ultrafast light-induced processes that occur in Co2MnGa: same-site Co-Co spin transfer, intersite Co-Mn spin transfer, and ultrafast spin-flips mediated by spin-orbit coupling. By measuring the dynamic magnetic asymmetry across the entire M-edges of the two magnetic sublattices involved, we uncover the relative dominance of these processes at different probe energy regions and times during the laser pulse. Our combined approach enables a comprehensive microscopic interpretation of laser-induced magnetization dynamics on timescales shorter than 100 fs., Comment: 31 pages, 12 figures

Ptychographic Coherent Diffractive Imaging enables diffraction-limited imaging of nanoscale structures at extreme ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths, where high-quality image-forming optics are not available. However, its reliance on a set of diverse diffraction patterns makes it challenging to use ptychography to image highly periodic samples, limiting its application to defect inspection for electronic and photonic devices. Here, we use a vortex high harmonic light beam driven by a laser carrying orbital angular momentum to implement extreme ultraviolet ptychographic imaging of highly periodic samples with high fidelity and reliability. We also demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, ptychographic imaging of an isolated, near-diffraction-limited defect in an otherwise periodic sample using vortex high harmonic beams. This enhanced metrology technique can enable high-fidelity imaging and inspection of highly periodic structures for next-generation nano, energy, photonic and quantum devices., Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, 4 supplementary figures

Nanostructuring on length scales corresponding to phonon mean free paths provides control over heat flow in semiconductors and makes it possible to engineer their thermal properties. However, the influence of boundaries limits the validity of bulk models, while first principles calculations are too computationally expensive to model real devices. Here we use extreme ultraviolet beams to study phonon transport dynamics in a 3D nanostructured silicon metalattice with deep nanoscale feature size, and observe dramatically reduced thermal conductivity relative to bulk. To explain this behavior, we develop a predictive theory wherein thermal conduction separates into a geometric permeability component and an intrinsic viscous contribution, arising from a new and universal effect of nanoscale confinement on phonon flow. Using experiments and atomistic simulations, we show that our theory applies to a general set of highly-confined silicon nanosystems, from metalattices, nanomeshes, porous nanowires to nanowire networks, of great interest for next-generation energy-efficient devices.

Light carrying spatiotemporal orbital angular momentum (ST-OAM) makes possible new types of optical vortices arising from transverse OAM. ST-OAM pulses exhibit novel properties during propagation, transmission, refraction, diffraction, and nonlinear conversion, attracting growing experimental and theoretical interest and studies. However, one major challenge is the lack of a simple and straightforward method for characterizing ultrafast ST-OAM pulses. Using spatially resolved spectral interferometry, we demonstrate a simple, stationary, single-frame method to quantitatively characterize ultrashort light pulses carrying ST-OAM. Using our method, the presence of an ST-OAM pulse, including its main characteristics such as topological charge numbers and OAM helicity, can be identified easily from the unique and unambiguous features directly seen on the raw data--without any need for a full analysis of the data. After processing and reconstructions, other exquisite features, including pulse dispersion and beam divergence, can also be fully characterized. Our fast characterization method allows high-throughput and quick feedback during the generation and optical alignment processes of ST-OAM pulses. It is straightforward to extend our method to single-shot measurement by using a high-speed camera that matches the pulse repetition rate. This new method can help advance the field of spatially and temporally structured light and its applications in advanced metrologies., Comment: 5 figures, 3 supplementary figures, 10 pages

Warm-dense matter (WDM) is a highly-excited state that lies at the confluence of solids, plasmas, and liquids and that cannot be described by equilibrium theories. The transient nature of this state when created in a laboratory, as well as the difficulties in probing the strongly-coupled interactions between the electrons and the ions, make it challenging to develop a complete understanding of matter in this regime. In this work, by exciting isolated ~8 nm nanoparticles with a femtosecond laser below the ablation threshold, we create uniformly-excited WDM. We then use photoelectron spectroscopy to track the instantaneous electron temperature and directly extract the strongest electron-ion coupling observed experimentally to date. By directly comparing with state-of-the-art theories, we confirm that the superheated nanoparticles lie at the boundary between hot solids and plasmas, with associated strong electron-ion coupling. This is evidenced both by the fast energy loss of electrons to ions, as well as a strong modulation of the electron temperature by acoustic oscillations in the nanoparticle. This work demonstrates a new route for experimental exploration and theoretical validation of the exotic properties of WDM., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures

The extreme nonlinear optical process of high-harmonic generation (HHG) makes it possible to map the properties of a laser beam onto a radiating electron wavefunction, and in turn, onto the emitted x-ray light. Bright HHG beams typically emerge from a longitudinal phased distribution of atomic-scale quantum antennae. Here, we form a transverse necklace-shaped phased array of HHG emitters, where orbital angular momentum conservation allows us to tune the line spacing and divergence properties of extreme-ultraviolet and soft X-ray high harmonic combs. The on-axis HHG emission has extremely low divergence, well below that obtained when using Gaussian driving beams, which further decreases with harmonic order. This work provides a new degree of freedom for the design of harmonic combs, particularly in the soft X-ray regime, where very limited options are available. Such harmonic beams can enable more sensitive probes of the fastest correlated charge and spin dynamics in molecules, nanoparticles and materials., Comment: Submitted to Science Advances

Light with spatiotemporal orbital angular momentum (ST-OAM) is a recently discovered type of structured and localized electromagnetic field. This field carries characteristic space-time spiral phase structure and transverse intrinsic OAM. In this work, we present the generation and characterization of the second-harmonic of ST-OAM pulses. We uncovered the conservation of transverse OAM in a second-harmonic generation process, where the space-time topological charge of the fundamental field is doubled along with the optical frequency. Our experiment thus suggests a general ST-OAM nonlinear scaling rule - analogous to that in conventional OAM of light. Furthermore, we observe that the topology of a second-harmonic ST-OAM pulse can be modified by complex spatiotemporal astigmatism, giving rise to multiple phase singularities separated in space and time. Our study opens a new route for nonlinear conversion and scaling of light carrying ST-OAM with the potential for driving other secondary ST-OAM sources of electromagnetic fields and beyond., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures

Magnetic topological defects are energetically stable spin configurations characterized by symmetry breaking. Vortices and skyrmions are two well-known examples of 2D spin textures that have been actively studied for both fundamental interest and practical applications. However, experimental evidence of the 3D spin textures has been largely indirect or qualitative to date, due to the difficulty of quantitively characterizing them within nanoscale volumes. Here, we develop soft x-ray vector ptychography to quantitatively image the 3D magnetization vector field in a frustrated superlattice with 10 nm spatial resolution. By applying homotopy theory to the experimental data, we quantify the topological charge of hedgehogs and anti-hedgehogs as emergent magnetic monopoles and probe their interactions inside the frustrated superlattice. We also directly observe virtual hedgehogs and anti-hedgehogs created by magnetically inert voids. We expect that this new quantitative imaging method will open the door to study 3D topological spin textures in a broad class of magnetic materials. Our work also demonstrates that magnetically frustrated superlattices could be used as a new platform to investigate hedgehog interactions and dynamics and to exploit optimized geometries for information storage and transport applications.

Heat management is crucial in the design of nanoscale devices as the operating temperature determines their efficiency and lifetime. Past experimental and theoretical works exploring nanoscale heat transport in semiconductors addressed known deviations from Fourier's law modeling by including effective parameters, such as a size-dependent thermal conductivity. However, recent experiments have qualitatively shown new behavior that cannot be modeled in this way. Here, we combine advanced experiment and theory to show that the cooling of 1D- and 2D-confined nanoscale hot spots on silicon can be described using a general hydrodynamic heat transport model, contrary to previous understanding of heat flow in bulk silicon. We use a comprehensive set of extreme ultraviolet scatterometry measurements of non-diffusive transport from transiently heated nanolines and nanodots to validate and generalize our ab initio model, that does not need any geometry-dependent fitting parameters. This allows us to uncover the existence of two distinct timescales and heat transport mechanisms: an interface resistance regime that dominates on short time scales, and a hydrodynamic-like phonon transport regime that dominates on longer timescales. Moreover, our model can predict the full thermomechanical response on nanometer length scales and picosecond time scales for arbitrary geometries, providing an advanced practical tool for thermal management of nanoscale technologies. Furthermore, we derive analytical expressions for the transport timescales, valid for a subset of geometries, supplying a route for optimizing heat dissipation.

Charge density wave (CDW) order is an emergent quantum phase that is characterized by a periodic lattice distortion and charge density modulation, often present near superconducting transitions. Here we uncover a novel inverted CDW state by using a femtosecond laser to coherently over-drive the unique star-of-David lattice distortion in 1T-TaSe$_2$. We track the signature of this novel CDW state using time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory, and validate that it is associated with a unique lattice and charge arrangement never before realized. The dynamic electronic structure further reveals its novel properties, that are characterized by an increased density of states near the Fermi level, high metallicity, and altered electron-phonon couplings. Our results demonstrate how ultrafast lasers can be used to create unique states in materials, by manipulating charge-lattice orders and couplings., Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures

Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light is critical for the study of molecules and materials, but the generation of femtosecond pulses in the VUV region at high repetition rates has proven difficult. Here, we demonstrate the efficient generation of VUV light at MHz repetition rates using highly cascaded four-wave mixing processes in a negative-curvature hollow-core fiber. Both even and odd order harmonics are generated up to the 15th harmonic (69 nm, 18.0 eV), with high energy resolution of ~40 meV. In contrast to direct high harmonic generation, this highly cascaded harmonic generation process requires lower peak intensity and therefore can operate at higher repetition rates, driven by a robust ~10 W fiber-laser system in a compact setup. Additionally, we present numerical simulations that explore the fundamental capabilities and spatiotemporal dynamics of highly cascaded harmonic generation. This VUV source can enhance the capabilities of spectroscopies of molecular and quantum materials, such as photoionization mass spectrometry and time , angle , and spin-resolved photoemission., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Optica (OSA)

Ultrafast optical pumping of spatially nonuniform magnetic textures is known to induce far-from-equilibrium spin transport effects. Here, we use ultrafast x-ray diffraction with unprecedented dynamic range to study the laser-induced dynamics of labyrinth domain networks in ferromagnetic CoFe/Ni multilayers. We detected azimuthally isotropic, odd order, magnetic diffraction rings up to 5th order. The amplitudes of all three diffraction rings quench to different degrees within 1.6 ps. In addition, all three of the detected diffraction rings both broaden by 15% and radially contract by 6% during the quench process. We are able to rigorously quantify a 31% ultrafast broadening of the domain walls via Fourier analysis of the order-dependent quenching of the three detected diffraction rings. The broadening of the diffraction rings is interpreted as a reduction in the domain coherence length, but the shift in the ring radius, while unambiguous in its occurrence, remains unexplained. In particular, we demonstrate that a radial shift explained by domain wall broadening can be ruled out. With the unprecedented dynamic range of our data, our results provide convincing evidence that labyrinth domain structures are spatially perturbed at ultrafast speeds under far-from-equilibrium conditions, albeit the mechanism inducing the perturbations remains yet to be clarified.

Twisted light fields carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) provide powerful capabilities for applications in optical communications, microscopy, quantum optics and microparticle rotation. Here we introduce and experimentally validate a new class of light beams, whose unique property is associated with a temporal OAM variation along a pulse: the self-torque of light. Self-torque is a phenomenon that can arise from matter-field interactions in electrodynamics and general relativity, but to date, there has been no optical analog. In particular, the self-torque of light is an inherent property, which is distinguished from the mechanical torque exerted by OAM beams when interacting with physical systems. We demonstrate that self-torqued beams in the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) naturally arise as a necessary consequence of angular momentum conservation in non-perturbative high-order harmonic generation when driven by time-delayed pulses with different OAM. In addition, the time-dependent OAM naturally induces an azimuthal frequency chirp, which provides a signature for monitoring the self-torque of high-harmonic EUV beams. Such self-torqued EUV beams can serve as unique tools for imaging magnetic and topological excitations, for launching selective excitation of quantum matter, and for manipulating molecules and nanostructures on unprecedented time and length scales., Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures

High-order harmonic generation stands as a unique nonlinear optical up-conversion process, mediated by a laser-driven electron recollision mechanism, which has been shown to conserve energy, momentum, and spin and orbital angular momentum. Here we present theoretical simulations which demonstrate that this process also conserves a mixture of the latter, the torus-knot angular momentum $J_\gamma$, by producing high-order harmonics with driving pulses that are invariant under coordinated rotations. We demonstrate that the charge $J_\gamma$ of the emitted harmonics scales linearly with the harmonic order, and that this conservation law is imprinted onto the polarization distribution of the emitted spiral of attosecond pulses. We also demonstrate how the nonperturbative physics of high-order harmonic generation affect the torus-knot angular momentum of the harmonics, and we show that this configuration harnesses the spin selection rules to channel the full yield of each harmonic into a single mode of controllable orbital angular momentum., Comment: Accepted Manuscript

Optical waveguides made from periodically poled materials provide high confinement of light and enable the generation of new wavelengths via quasi-phase-matching, making them a key platform for nonlinear optics and photonics. However, such devices are not typically employed for high-harmonic generation. Here, using 200-fs, 10-nJ-level pulses of 4100 nm light at 1 MHz, we generate high harmonics up to the 13th harmonic (315 nm) in a chirped, periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. Total conversion efficiencies into the visible--ultraviolet region are as high as 10 percent. We find that the output spectrum depends on the waveguide poling period, indicating that quasi-phase-matching plays a significant role. In the future, such periodically poled waveguides may enable compact sources of ultrashort pulses at high repetition rates and provide new methods of probing the electronic structure of solid-state materials., Comment: 8 pages, submitted version

We report 3D coherent diffractive imaging of Au/Pd core-shell nanoparticles with 6 nm resolution on 5-6 femtosecond timescales. We measured single-shot diffraction patterns of core-shell nanoparticles using very intense and short x-ray free electron laser pulses. By taking advantage of the curvature of the Ewald sphere and the symmetry of the nanoparticle, we reconstructed the 3D electron density of 34 core-shell structures from single-shot diffraction patterns. We determined the size of the Au core and the thickness of the Pd shell to be 65.0 +/- 1.0 nm and 4.0 +/- 0.5 nm, respectively, and identified the 3D elemental distribution inside the nanoparticles with an accuracy better than 2%. We anticipate this method can be used for quantitative 3D imaging of symmetrical nanostructures and virus particles., Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures

The interaction of intense mid-infrared laser fields with atoms and molecules leads to a range of new opportunities, from the production of bright, coherent radiation in the soft x-ray range to imaging molecular structures and dynamics with attosecond temporal and sub-angstrom spatial resolution. However, all these effects, which rely on laser-driven recollision of an electron removed by the strong laser field and the parent ion, suffer from the rapidly increasing role of the magnetic field component of the driving pulse: the associated Lorentz force pushes the electrons off course in their excursion and suppresses all recollision-based processes, including high harmonic generation, elastic and inelastic scattering. Here we show how the use of two non-collinear beams with opposite circular polarizations produces a forwards ellipticity which can be used to monitor, control, and cancel the effect of the Lorentz force. This arrangement can thus be used to re-enable recollision-based phenomena in regimes beyond the long-wavelength breakdown of the dipole approximation, and it can be used to observe this breakdown in high-harmonic generation using currently-available light sources.

We demonstrate a new scheme of spectromicroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral range, where the spectral response of the sample at different wavelengths is imaged simultaneously. It is enabled by applying ptychographical information multiplexing (PIM) to a tabletop EUV source based on high harmonic generation, where four spectrally narrow harmonics near 30 nm form a spectral comb structure. Extending PIM from previously demonstrated visible wavelengths to the EUV/X-ray wavelengths promises much higher spatial resolution and more powerful spectral contrast mechanism, making PIM an attractive spectromicroscopy method in both the microscopy and the spectroscopy aspects. Besides the sample, the multicolor EUV beam is also imaged in situ, making our method a powerful beam characterization technique. No hardware is used to separate or narrow down the wavelengths, leading to efficient use of the EUV radiation.

Characterizing buried layers and interfaces is critical for a host of applications in nanoscience and nano-manufacturing. Here we demonstrate non-invasive, non-destructive imaging of buried interfaces using a tabletop, extreme ultraviolet (EUV), coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) nanoscope. Copper nanostructures inlaid in SiO2 are coated with 100 nm of aluminum, which is opaque to visible light and thick enough that neither optical microscopy nor atomic force microscopy can image the buried interfaces. Short wavelength (29 nm) high harmonic light can penetrate the aluminum layer, yielding high-contrast images of the buried structures. Moreover, differences in the absolute reflectivity of the interfaces before and after coating reveal the formation of interstitial diffusion and oxidation layers at the Al-Cu and Al-SiO2 boundaries. Finally, we show that EUV CDI provides a unique capability for quantitative, chemically-specific imaging of buried structures, and the material evolution that occurs at these buried interfaces, compared with all other approaches., Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures

Ni$_{80}$Fe$_{20}$ (Py) and Py-Cu exhibit intriguing ultrafast demagnetization behavior, where the Ni magnetic moment shows a delayed response relative to the Fe [S. Mathias et al., PNAS {\bf 109}, 4792 (2012)]. To unravel the mechanism responsible for this behavior, we have studied Py-Cu alloys for a wide range of Cu concentrations using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). The magnetic moments of Fe and Ni are found to respond very differently to Cu alloying: Fe becomes a strong ferromagnet in Py, with the magnetic moment largely unaffected by Cu alloying. In contrast, the Ni magnetic moment decreases continuously with increasing Cu concentration. Our results are corroborated by ab-initio calculations of the electronic structure, which we discuss in the framework of virtual bound states (VBSs). For high Cu concentrations, Ni exhibits VBSs below the Fermi level, which are likely responsible for an increased orbital/spin magnetic ratio at high Cu concentrations. Fe exhibits VBSs in the minority band, approximately 1 eV above the Fermi level in pure Py, that move closer to the Fermi level upon Cu alloying. A strong interaction between the VBSs and excited electrons above the Fermi level enhances the formation of localized magnons at Fe sites, which explains the different behavior between Fe and Ni during ultrafast demagnetization.