Communication: Demonstration of a 20 ps X-ray switch based on a photoacoustic transducer

We have studied an X-ray switch based on a gold coated indium antimonide crystal using time-resolved X-ray diffraction and demonstrated that the switch could reduce the pulse duration of a 100 ps X-ray pulse down to 20 ps with a peak reflectivity of 8%. We have used a dynamical diffraction code to predict the performance of the switch, which was then confirmed experimentally. The experiment was carried out at the FemtoMAX beamline at the short-pulse facility of the MAX IV laboratory. The performance and limitation of the switch are discussed in terms of acoustic transport properties between the two materials and the electron transport properties of gold.