Bio

I am a PhD Candidate at Carnegie Mellon University and Visiting Physicist at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences. My research focuses on using state-of-the-art X-ray facilities such as the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC to study ultra-fast dynamics in materials. I am especially interested in how X-ray speckle phenomena can be used to understand the role quantum fluctations play in the emergence of novel quantum phases in low-dimensional materials.

Education & Certifications

  • BA, Washington & Jefferson College, Physics (2017)

Contact

  • Work
    rajan-01@slac.stanford.edu
    University - Staff Department: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Position: Visiting Physicist
    • 2575 Sand Hill Rd
    • Mailstop 0072
    • Menlo Park,  California  94025 

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 0210
  • SUNet ID(s):
    rajanplumley
    rplumley

All Publications

  • Compact hard x-ray split-delay system based on variable-gap channel-cut crystals OPTICS LETTERS Sun, Y., Wang, N., Song, S., Sun, P., Chollet, M., Sato, T., van Driel, T. B., Nelson, S., Plumley, R., Montana-Lopez, J., Teitelbaum, S. W., Haber, J., Hastings, J. B., Baron, A. R., Sutton, M., Fuoss, P. H., Robert, A., Zhu, D. 2019; 44 (10): 2582–85

    Abstract

    We present the concept and a prototypical implementation of a compact x-ray split-delay system that is capable of performing continuous on-the-fly delay scans over a range of ∼10  ps with sub-100 nanoradian pointing stability. The system consists of four channel-cut silicon crystals, two of which have gradually varying gap sizes from intentional 5 deg asymmetric cuts. The delay adjustment is realized by linear motions of these two monolithic varying-gap channel cuts, where the x-ray beam experiences pairs of anti-parallel reflections, and thus becomes less sensitive in output beam pointing to motion imperfections of the translation stages. The beam splitting is accomplished by polished crystal edges. A high degree of mutual coherence between the two branches at the focus is observed by analyzing small-angle coherent x-ray scattering patterns. We envision a wide range of applications including single-shot x-ray pulse temporal diagnostics, studies of high-intensity x-ray-matter interactions, as well as measurement of dynamics in disordered material systems using split-pulse x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

    View details for DOI 10.1364/OL.44.002582

    View details for Web of Science ID 000467906400050

    View details for PubMedID 31090737