Laser fabricated microfluidic glass chip to study amplified spontaneous XUV emission of helium gas

We propose a compact microfluidic glass cell that enables the confinement of gas samples while hosting the interaction with Free Electron Laser (FEL) beams. The device is fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining followed by chemical etching. The unique 3D capabilities of this technique are exploited to construct an open-end cell for the gas - laser interaction. We have observed and quantified XUV self-amplify spontaneous emission from short-lived autoionizing states in helium. A further improvement is proposed, integrating platinum micro-wire electrodes for in-situ detection of gas ionization. Our devices will pave the way to unprecedented studies of FEL interaction with gases.