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Cryogenic Liquid Jets for High Repetition Rate Discovery Science

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Note: a new design for a low-temperature high-intensity helium beam source.

B A J Lechner¹, H Hedgeland, W Allison

¹Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom. bajl2@cam.ac.uk

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|March 8, 2013

Summary

We developed a novel supersonic beam source for atom scattering, achieving ultra-low temperatures (11.8 K) and high resolution. This advancement significantly enhances the study of molecular adsorbates on surfaces.

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Area of Science:

Surface Science
Atomic Physics
Spectroscopy

Background:

High-intensity supersonic beam sources are crucial for atom scattering instruments, impacting experimental sensitivity and energy resolution.
Existing sources have limitations in achieving very low beam energies and high resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a new design for a high-intensity supersonic beam source.
To improve the resolution and accessible timescales in atom scattering experiments.
To demonstrate the source's utility in studying molecular adsorbates.

Main Methods:

Designed and constructed a novel supersonic beam source capable of operating at cryogenic temperatures (as low as 11.8 K).
Characterized the performance of the new source through experimental measurements.

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Utilized the source in conjunction with the Cambridge helium spin-echo spectrometer.

Main Results:

The new source operates at temperatures as low as 11.8 K, yielding a beam energy of 2.5 meV.
Achieved a 5.5-fold improvement in resolution for the Cambridge helium spin-echo spectrometer.
Extended the accessible timescales for spin-echo measurements into the nanosecond range.

Conclusions:

The new supersonic beam source design offers significantly enhanced resolution and extended timescale capabilities.
The source is effective for studying slow-moving molecular adsorbate dynamics, as demonstrated by benzene/Cu(100) measurements.
This advancement opens new possibilities for high-resolution atom scattering studies.