NEXAFS at nitrogen K-edge and titanium L-edge using a laser-plasma soft x-ray source based on a double-stream gas puff target.

We present a possibility of reaching higher energy absorption edges of organic materials, beyond the carbon K-edge, in the near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy technique using a compact laser-produced plasma soft X-ray (SXR) source based on a double-stream gas puff target. The source was optimized for emission in the SXR spectral range from 1.5 to 5 nm wavelength using the krypton/helium target. The emission spectrum of the source and the absorption spectrum of the investigated sample were measured simultaneously by means of a grazing incidence spectrometer, equipped with a single, large aperture diffractive element. Based on both spectra, the optical density was computed for the silicon nitride membranes in a transmission mode, to reveal the NEXAFS features near the nitrogen K-edge. Moreover, due to spectral narrowing of the SXR emission by the use of titanium filter, reaching the titanium L-edge was also possible. Multiple SXR pulse data were compared to single SXR pulse (single-shot) data as well as to the numerical simulations. In this paper, the detailed information about the source, spectroscopy system, and the results of NEXAFS measurements is presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]