Imaging detectors based on photoluminescence of radiation-induced defects in lithium fluoride for XFEL beam monitoring

Lithium fluoride (LiF) films and crystals are versatile X-ray imaging detectors based on the optical reading of visible photoluminescence from radiation-induced electronic defects. Distinctive features of these detectors are their high spatial resolution across a large field of view, wide dynamic range and insensitivity to ambient light. These peculiarities of LiF detectors appear to be promising for monitoring the spatial intensity distribution of ultra-short, ultra-high pulses of the EUV-X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) and could be exploited for coherent diffraction imaging experiments.