EUV Hartmann sensor for wavefront measurements at the Free-electron LASer in Hamburg

A compact, self-supporting Hartmann wavefront sensor was developed for the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft x-ray range. The device is adapted to the characteristics of the Free-electron LASer in Hamburg (FLASH). It operates in a wavelength range from 6 to 30 nm with the capability to measure the wavefront quality of individual free-electron laser (FEL) pulses for beam characterization as well as for beamline alignment and monitoring behind user experiments. We report on online-Hartmann wavefront measurements at beamline BL2 with λ13.5nm/90 accuracy for wavefront rms (wrms). The results were used to align the ellipsoidal focusing mirror at the beamline, decreasing the residual root mean square (rms) wavefront aberrations by more than a factor of 3 to 2.6 nm. The spot size of 31 μm (x) and 27 μm (y) full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) as well as other beam parameters evaluated from wavefront and intensity data are consistent with independent profile measurements in the focal region, employing both a high-resolution EUV camera and poly(methyl metacrylate) (PMMA) imprints.