Spin-resolved ultrafast electron diffraction

An ultrafast electron diffraction system comprising:

• an ultrafast laser that generates a laser beam;
• a beam splitter configured to split the laser beam into a laser pump pulse and a laser probe pulse;
• a sample stage configured to hold a sample, wherein the laser pump pulse is configured to excite the sample;
• a delay stage to modify a distance the laser pump pulse travels from the beam splitter to the sample to establish a delay time between the laser pump pulse and an electron probe pulse;
• an electron diffraction device comprising:
• an electron source;
• and
• an anode,
• wherein the laser probe pulse interacts with electrons from the electron source to generate the electron probe pulse that passes through the anode and diffracts from the sample yielding a diffraction pattern;
• and
• wherein data is configured to be collected at one instance using the diffraction pattern to yield a first snapshot of diffractive information.