Time-Resolved Visualization of Laser-Induced Heating of Gold with MeV Ultrafast Electron Diffraction

Time-resolved electron diffraction employing MeV electron beams is demonstrated experimentally at the center for ultrafast diffraction and microscopy of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. A high-quality diffraction pattern is recorded by a single shot of electron pulse. Synchronization between the pump laser and the probe electron beam is achieved through measurement of electron deflection caused by the laser-induced plasmas in a metal tip. We study the ultrafast structural dynamics of the gold lattice excited by a femtosecond laser through tracing the change of Bragg peaks intensity at different time delays. It is expected that the combination of MeV ultrashort electron beams and femtosecond laser pulses will open many new opportunities in the ultrafast and ultrasmall world.