@article{SchickLeGuyaderPontiusetal.2016, author = {Schick, Daniel and Le Guyader, Loic and Pontius, Niko and Radu, Ilie and Kachel, Torsten and Mitzner, Rolf and Zeschke, Thomas and Schuessler-Langeheine, Christian and F{\"o}hlisch, Alexander and Holldack, Karsten}, title = {Analysis of the halo background in femtosecond slicing experiments}, series = {Journal of synchrotron radiation}, volume = {23}, journal = {Journal of synchrotron radiation}, publisher = {International Union of Crystallography}, address = {Chester}, issn = {1600-5775}, doi = {10.1107/S160057751600401X}, pages = {700 -- 711}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The slicing facility FemtoSpeX at BESSY II offers unique opportunities to study photo-induced dynamics on femtosecond time scales by means of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, resonant and non-resonant X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments in the soft X-ray regime. Besides femtosecond X-ray pulses, slicing sources inherently also produce a so-called `halo' background with a different time structure, polarization and pointing. Here a detailed experimental characterization of the halo radiation is presented, and a method is demonstrated for its correct and unambiguous removal from femtosecond time-resolved data using a special laser triggering scheme as well as analytical models. Examples are given for time-resolved measurements with corresponding halo correction, and errors of the relevant physical quantities caused by either neglecting or by applying a simplified model to describe this background are estimated.}, language = {en} } @article{RettigDornesThielemannKuehnetal.2016, author = {Rettig, L. and Dornes, C. and Thielemann-Kuehn, Nele and Pontius, N. and Zabel, Hartmut and Schlagel, D. L. and Lograsso, T. A. and Chollet, M. and Robert, A. and Sikorski, M. and Song, S. and Glownia, J. M. and Schuessler-Langeheine, Christian and Johnson, S. L. and Staub, U.}, title = {Itinerant and Localized Magnetization Dynamics in Antiferromagnetic Ho}, series = {Physical review letters}, volume = {116}, journal = {Physical review letters}, publisher = {American Physical Society}, address = {College Park}, issn = {0031-9007}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.257202}, pages = {6382 -- 6389}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Using femtosecond time-resolved resonant magnetic x-ray diffraction at the Ho L-3 absorption edge, we investigate the demagnetization dynamics in antiferromagnetically ordered metallic Ho after femtosecond optical excitation. Tuning the x-ray energy to the electric dipole (E1, 2p -> 5d) or quadrupole (E2, 2p -> 4f) transition allows us to selectively and independently study the spin dynamics of the itinerant 5d and localized 4f electronic subsystems via the suppression of the magnetic (2 1 3-tau) satellite peak. We find demagnetization time scales very similar to ferromagnetic 4f systems, suggesting that the loss of magnetic order occurs via a similar spin-flip process in both cases. The simultaneous demagnetization of both subsystems demonstrates strong intra-atomic 4f-5d exchange coupling. In addition, an ultrafast lattice contraction due to the release of magneto-striction leads to a transient shift of the magnetic satellite peak.}, language = {en} }