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Single-shot two-dimensional (2D) phase retrieval (PR) can recover the phase shift distribution within an object from a single 2D x-ray phase contrast image (XPCI). Two competing XPCI imaging modalities often used for single-shot 2D PR to recover material properties critical for predictive performance capabilities are: speckle-based (SP-XPCI) and propagation-based (PB-XPCI) XPCI imaging. However, PR from SP-XPCI and PB-XPCI images are, respectively, limited to reconstructing accurately slowly and rapidly varying features due to noise and differences in their contrast mechanisms. Herein, we consider a combined speckle- and propagation-based XPCI (SPB-XPCI) image by introducing a mask to generate a reference pattern and imaging in the near-to-holographic regime to induce intensity modulations in the image. We develop a single-shot 2D PR method for SPB-XPCI images of pure phase objects without imposing restrictions such as object support constraints. It is compared against PR methods inspired by those developed for SP-XPCI and PB-XPCI on simulated and experimental images of a thin glass shell before and during shockwave compression. Reconstructed phase maps show improvements in quantitative scores of root-mean-square error and structural similarity index measure using our proposed method. 

Mesoscale imperfections, such as pores and voids, can strongly modify the properties and the mechanical response of materials under extreme conditions. Tracking the material response and microstructure evolution during void collapse is crucial for understanding its performance. In particular, imperfections in the ablator materials, such as voids, can limit the efficiency of the fusion reaction and ultimately hinder ignition. To characterize how voids influence the response of materials during dynamic loading and seed hydrodynamic instabilities, we have developed a tailored fabrication procedure for designer targets with voids at specific locations. Our procedure uses SU-8 as a proxy for the ablator materials and hollow silica microspheres as a proxy for voids and pores. By using photolithography to design the targets’ geometry, we demonstrate precise and highly reproducible placement of a single void within the sample, which is key for a detailed understanding of its behavior under shock compression. This fabrication technique will benefit high-repetition rate experiments at x-ray and laser facilities. Insight from shock compression experiments will provide benchmarks for the next generation of microphysics modeling. 

A magnetron co-sputtering system was used for producing nickel-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST-Ni) thin films. The nickel content in the thin film was adjusted by the ratio of the plasma discharge power applied to the GST and nickel targets, as well as a physical shuttering technique to further control the nickel deposition rate. The doping concentration of the film was con firmed using Energy Dispersion Spectroscopy (EDS) technique. Results from a four-point probe measurement indicate that the nickel doping can reduce the resistivity of GST in the amorphous state by nearly three orders of magnitude. The dopant's influence on crystallization behavior was studied by analyzing X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns of the pure GST and GST-Ni at different annealing temperatures. To examine the structural changes due to the nickel dopant, the thin films were investigated with the aid of Raman scattering. Additionally, we extracted the optical constants for both the amorphous and crystalline states of undoped-GST and GST-Ni films by ellipsometry. The results indicate that at low doping concentrations nickel does not appreciably affect the optical constants, but dramatically improves the electrical conductivity. Therefore, nickel-doping of GST a viable method for designing optical devices for lower operating voltages at higher switching speeds.