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Direct nano-scale microanalysis is important for photovoltaic functional thin films to characterize their homogeneity and purity. This demands combining spatial resolution in the micro/nano-scale and sensitivity in the trace-level range, which is at the moment beyond state-of-the-art. As dictated by counting statistics, the reduction of the spot size degrades the detection limit. The utilization of a tabletop XUV laser at λ = 46.9 nm has shown to dramatically improve the ablation efficiency with respect to that of visible lasers, such that ablation spot of 1 μm limits. Li-doped Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (so-called kesterite) thin films were irradiated across 3D ablation arrays for hyperspectral mapping by means of time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The nominal 3D data node lattices were the initialisation perceptron, filled with measured values, and for a detailed supervised learning postprocessing, the node-to-node links were analysed by means of a 2D-kernel covariance algorithm. The latter permitted to obtain robust 3D elemental distribution functions well below the measurement spacing, giving insights into the inhomogeneity and impurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) is more sensitive to density variations than X-ray absorption radiography, which is a crucial advantage when imaging weakly-absorbing, low-Z materials, or steep density gradients in matter under extreme conditions. Here, we describe the application of a polychromatic X-ray laser-plasma source (duration ~0.5 ps, photon energy >1 keV) to the study of a laser-driven shock travelling in plastic material. The XPCI technique allows for a clear identification of the shock front as well as of small-scale features present during the interaction. Quantitative analysis of the compressed object is achieved using a density map reconstructed from the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct metrology of coherent short-wavelength beamlines is important for obtaining operational beam characteristics at the experimental site. However, since beam-time limitation imposes fast metrology procedures, a multi-parametric metrology from as low as a single shot is desirable. Here a two-dimensional (2D) procedure based on high-resolution Fresnel diffraction analysis is discussed and applied, which allowed an efficient and detailed beamline characterization at the SACLA XFEL. So far, the potential of Fresnel diffraction for beamline metrology has not been fully exploited because its high-frequency fringes could be only partly resolved with ordinary pixel-limited detectors. Using the high-spatial-frequency imaging capability of an irradiated LiF crystal, 2D information of the coherence degree, beam divergence and beam quality factor M2 were retrieved from simple diffraction patterns. The developed beam metrology was validated with a laboratory reference laser, and then successfully applied at a beamline facility, in agreement with the source specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extended electrochemical stability window offered by highly concentrated electrolytes allows the operation of aqueous batteries at voltages significantly above the thermodynamic stability limit of water, at which the stability of the current collector potentially limits the cell voltage. Here we report the observation of suppressed anodic dissolution of aluminum in “water-in-salt” electrolytes enabling roll-to-roll electrode fabrication for high-voltage aqueous lithium-ion batteries on cost-effective light-weight aluminum current collectors using established lithium-ion battery technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the original article, one of the texts was missing in the Acknowledgment section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]