Related papers: Watching coherent molecular structural dynamics du…
Interpretation of x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) experiments is often done via analyzing the role of particular atoms in the formation of specific peaks in the calculated spectrum. Typically, this is achieved by calculating…
The development of high-brightness free-electron lasers (FEL) has revolutionised our ability to create and study matter in the high-energy-density (HED) regime. Current diagnostic techniques have been very successful in yielding information…
The element specificity of soft X-ray spectroscopy makes it an ideal tool for analyzing the microscopic origin of ultrafast dynamics induced by localized optical excitation in metal-insulator heterostructures. Using [Fe/MgO]$_n$ as a model…
The new regime of resonant nuclear photoexcitation rendered possible by x-ray free electron laser beams interacting with solid state targets is investigated theoretically. Our results unexpectedly show that secondary processes coupling…
Unveiling the key mechanisms that determine optically driven spin dynamics is essential both to probe the fundamental nature of ultrafast light-matter interactions, but also to drive future technologies of smaller, faster, and more energy…
The time-dependent optical properties of molecular systems are investigated by step-scan Fourier-transform spectroscopy in order to explore the dynamics at phase transitions and molecular orientation in the milli- and microsecond range. The…
Lensless X-ray imaging provides element-specific nanoscale insights into thick samples beyond the reach of conventional light and electron microscopy. Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) methods, such as ptychographic tomography, can recover…
X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) enables direct access to atomic-scale dynamics in disordered materials, revealing both spontaneous and X-ray-induced relaxation processes. Here, we study two compositionally similar alloy glasses…
The successful operation of X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs), like the Linac Coherent Light Source or the Free-Electron Laser in Hamburg (FLASH), makes unprecedented research on matter at atomic length and ultrafast time scales possible.…
Ultrafast photoinduced dynamics of electronic excitation in molecular dimers is drastically affected by the dynamic reorganization of inter- and intra- molecular nuclear configuration modeled by a quantized nuclear degree of freedom [Cina…
X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) allows for the resolution of dynamic processes within a material across a wide range of length and time scales. X-ray speckle visibility spectroscopy (XSVS) is a related method that uses a single…
X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFELs) deliver X-ray pulses with a coherent flux that is approximately eight orders of magnitude greater than that available from a modern third generation synchrotron source. The power density in an XFEL pulse…
The conversion of photon energy into other energetic forms in molecules is accompanied by charge moving on ultrafast timescales. We directly observe the charge motion at a specific site in an electronically excited molecule using…
Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is the underlying mechanism governing important reactions ranging from water splitting in photosynthesis to oxygen reduction in hydrogen fuel cells. The interplay of proton and electronic charge…
Giant strides in ultrashort laser pulse technology have enabled real-time observation of dynamical processes in complex molecular systems. Specifically, the discovery of oscillatory transients in the two-dimensional electronic spectra of…
X-ray photon correlation is used to probe the slow dynamics of the glass-former B2O3 across the glass transition. In the undercooled liquid phase the decay times of the measured correlation functions are consistent with visible light…
All-organic-based photovoltaic solar cells have attracted considerable attention because of their low-cost processing and short energy payback time. In such systems the primary dissociation of an optical excitation into a pair of…
X-ray observations are a direct diagnostic of fast electrons produced in solar flares, energized during the energy release process and directed towards the Sun. Since the properties of accelerated electrons can be substantially changed…
The direct and secondary nuclear excitation produced by an x-ray free electron laser when interacting with a solid-state nuclear target is investigated theoretically. When driven at the resonance energy, the x-ray free electron laser can…
Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is a well-established tool for studying electronic, nuclear and collective dynamics of excited atoms, molecules and solids. An extension of this powerful method to a time-resolved probe technique…