Progresses of a Hard X-Ray Split and Delay Line Unit for the MID Station at the European XFEL

The Materials Imaging and Dynamics (MID) instrument at European XFEL aims at the investigation of nanosized structures and nanoscale dynamics using coherent X-ray radiation. A hard X-ray Split and Delay Line unit (SDL) is under manufacture for the MID station. The SDL is optimized to operate in a photon energy range from 5 to 10 keV and provides pairs of jitter-free X-ray pulses with a variable time delay ranging from −10 to 800 ps. With the powerful tunable and synchronized optical laser system at the MID station, not only X-ray pump-probe experiments but also X-ray probe—optical pump—X-ray probe (XOX) and optical pump—X-ray probe—X-ray probe (OXX) experiments are enabled by the SDL. This device will allow the study of ultrafast dynamics using experimental techniques, e.g. time-resolved X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS), Speckle Visibility Spectroscopy (SVS), ultrafast X-ray tomography and temporally and spatially resolved X-ray holography. We present here the current status of the mechanical manufacture of the device. Throughput simulations using diamond crystals as X-ray optics have been performed for the optical splitting scheme in SASE configuration and the results are presented.