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Updated: May 12, 2026
09:53
Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry With Tunable Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) Synchrotron Radiation
Published on: October 30, 2012
Table-top ultrafast x-ray microcalorimeter spectrometry for molecular structure
J Uhlig1, W Fullagar, J N Ullom
1Department of Chemical Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Physical Review Letters
|April 16, 2013
Summary
Researchers used a femtosecond laser to generate X-rays for absorption measurements. This allowed the first determination of ferrocene
Area of Science:
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Materials Science
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy is crucial for determining atomic-level structural information.
- Traditional XAFS methods often require large-scale synchrotron facilities.
- Developing compact, high-resolution X-ray sources is essential for broader accessibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate hard X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy using a compact femtosecond laser-driven X-ray source.
- To accurately measure the bond distance of ferrocene using this novel technique.
- To establish a new method for time-resolved structural dynamics studies.
Main Methods:
- Generation of few-keV X-rays using a femtosecond pulsed laser interacting with a water-jet target.
- Utilizing a microcalorimetric array spectrometer with high energy resolution (ΔE=3.14 eV at 5.9 keV) for X-ray detection.
- Transmission of X-rays through a ferrocene powder sample to obtain the absorption spectrum.
Main Results:
- Successfully collected the first hard-XAFS spectrum using an energy-dispersive detector coupled with a laser-based X-ray source.
- Accurately determined the bond distance of ferrocene from the collected spectrum.
- Demonstrated the capability of the system for precise X-ray energy measurements.
Conclusions:
- Femtosecond laser-generated X-rays coupled with microcalorimetric detectors offer a viable alternative for XAFS measurements.
- This technique provides high-resolution data, enabling accurate structural determination.
- The method holds significant potential for future time-resolved studies of structural dynamics in various photoactive systems.
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