Laboratory-scale near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy with a laser-induced plasma source

The authors present a compact soft X-ray spectrometer based on a long-term stable and nearly debris-free picosecond laser-induced plasma from a pulsed krypton gas jet target, suitable for near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy in the energy range between 250 to 1000 eV. Along with a detailed description of the table-top spectrometer reaching a spectral resolution of up to E/Delta E approximate to 500 at an energy of 430 eV, NEXAFS measurements were conducted at the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen K-edge. Additionally, oxidation state and coordination at the L-edge of various manganese and iron compounds were analyzed for the first time with a laboratory-scale NEXAFS system.