Development of high-repetition-rate laser pump/x-ray probe methodologies for synchrotron facilities

We describe our implementation of a high repetition rate (54 kHz-6.5 MHz), high power (>10W), laser system at the 7ID beamline at the Advanced Photon Source for laser pump/x-ray probe studies of optically driven molecular processes. Laser pulses at 1.06 μ m wavelength and variable duration (10 or 130 ps) are synchronized to the storage ring rf signal to a precision of ∼250 fs rms. Frequency doubling and tripling of the laser radiation using nonlinear optical techniques have been applied to generate 532 and 355 nm light. We demonstrate that by combining a microfocused x-ray probe with focused optical laser radiation the requisite fluence (with