X-ray Microscopy and Talbot Imaging with the Matter in Extreme Conditions X-ray Imager at LCLS

The last decade has shown the great potential that X-ray Free Electron Lasers (FEL) have to study High Energy Density matter. Experiments at FELs have made significant breakthroughs in Shock Physics and Dynamic Diffraction, Dense Plasma Physics and Warm Dense Matter Science, using techniques such as isochoric heating, inelastic scattering, small angle scattering and x-ray diffraction. In addition, and complementary to these techniques, the coherent properties of the FEL beam can be used to image HED samples with high fidelity. We present new imaging diagnostics and techniques developed at the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument at Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) over the last few years. We show result of a previously used Phase Contrast Imaging setup, where the X-ray beam propagates from the target to a camera some distance away revealing its phase, as well as a imaging approach where the target is re-imaged on the camera with 300nm resolution. Last, we show a new Talbot Imaging method allowing both x-ray phase and intensity measurements change introduced by a target with sub-micron resolution.