Development of a hard X-ray delay line for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy and jitter-free pump-probe experiments at X-ray free-electron laser sources

A prototype device capable of splitting an X-ray pulse into two adjustable fractions, delaying one of them with the aim of performing split pulse X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy and pump-probe type studies was designed and manufactured. Time delays up to 2.95 ns have been demonstrated. The achieved contrast values of 56% indicate a feasibility of performing coherence-based experiments with the delay line.