Dr J Frey Nanoscale X-Ray Sources

Project overview

X-Ray scattering owing to its generality is one of the most powerful tools available for structural studies. The major limitation however is the necessity of producing suitable crystalline samples, which is a huge drawback for most biotech nologies. Although the improvements in both sources and detectors have made strong impact in this area and driven down required sample sizes by orders of magnitude, the fundamental bottleneck remains the need for macroscopic crystalline samples. We propose to develop a technology to completely circumvent this requirement by producing short-pulse XRay sources focussed down to nanometer dimensions capable of single-particle/molecule single-shot ultrafast scattering. In parallel we will develop scanning systems to record element specific surface tomography of more radiation hard measoscale patterned materials (metals, semiconductors) on the sub-micron scale. These approaches reach down to a scale in time and space of enormous benefit to a wide range of fields in engineering, physical and biological sciences and medicine. The ultimate aim will be to observe scattering from single isolated molecules and molecular events in solution, for example a single enzyme molecule or an isolated quantum well correlating function and structure at the single particle/molecules scale.

Staff

Lead researchers

Professor Jeremy Frey

Professor of Physical Chemistry

Connect with Jeremy

Email: J.G.Frey@soton.ac.uk

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Computational Systems Chemistry

Our research covers a broad range of domains from nanoscale materials properties, atmospheric chemistry, through to biological systems.

Research outputs

Quantitative and correlative extreme ultraviolet coherent imaging of mouse hippocampal neurons at high resolution

Peter Baksh, Michal Odstrčil, Magdalena Miszczak, Charles Pooley, Richard Chapman, Adam Wyatt, Emma Springate, John Chad, Katrin Deinhardt, Jeremy G. Frey & William Brocklesby, 2020, Science Advances, 6(18)

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz3025

Type: article

Efficient high-harmonic generation from a stable and compact ultrafast Yb-fiber laser producing 100 micro-joule, 350 fs pulses based on bendable photonic-crystal fiber

James S. Feehan, Jonathan H.V. Price, Thomas Butcher, William S. Brocklesby, Jeremy G. Frey & David J. Richardson, 2017, Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics, 123(1)

DOI: 10.1007/s00340-016-6620-8

Type: article

Nonlinear ptychographic coherent diffractive imaging

Michal Odstrčil, Peter Baksh, Corin Gawith, Ranko Vrcelj, Jeremy Frey & William Brocklesby, 2016, Optics Express, 1-9

DOI: 10.1364/OE.24.020245

Type: article

Lloyd's mirror interference lithography with EUV radiation from a high-harmonic source

Hyunsu Kim, Peter Baksh, Michal Odstrčil, Magdalena Miszczak, Larissa Juschkin, William Brocklesby & Jeremy Frey, 2016, Applied Physics Express, 9(7), 76701

DOI: 10.7567/APEX.9.076701

Type: article

Ptychographic coherent diffractive imaging with orthogonal probe relaxation

Michal Odstrčil, Peter Baksh, Stuart Boden, Rachel Card, John Chad, Jeremy Frey & William Brocklesby, 2016, Optics Express, 24(8), 8360-8369

DOI: 10.1364/OE.24.008360

Type: article

Wide-field broadband extreme ultraviolet transmission ptychography using a high-harmonic source

Peter Baksh, Michal Odstrčil, Hyunsu Kim, Stuart Boden, Jeremy Frey & William Brocklesby, 2016, Optics Letters, 41(7), 1317-1320

DOI: 10.1364/OL.41.001317

Type: article

High resolution, wide field of view, ptychographic imaging of a biological sample using a high harmonic generation source

Peter Baksh, Michal Odstrčil, Hyunsu Kim, Stuart Boden, Rachel Card, John Chad, William Brocklesby & Jeremy Frey, 2016