Extreme ultraviolet-excited time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy using an ultrafast table-top high-harmonic...

Area of Science:

• * Physics and Chemistry
• * Materials Science
• * Spectroscopy

Background:

• * Understanding material responses to extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation is crucial for applications like lithography.
• * Existing methods often lack the temporal resolution to capture ultrafast decay dynamics.
• * Characterizing XUV-induced electronic processes in solids requires advanced spectroscopic tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop and validate a table-top extreme ultraviolet beamline for time- and frequency-resolved measurements.
• * To investigate the luminescence decay dynamics of various materials excited by XUV pulses.
• * To establish time-resolved XUV-excited optical luminescence (XEOL) as a viable spectroscopic technique.

Main Methods:

• * Generation of XUV pulses via high-harmonic generation using near-infrared lasers in noble gases.
• * Excitation of solid samples with focused XUV pulses and collection of emitted luminescence.
• * Temporal resolution of luminescence spectra using a streak camera with picosecond accuracy.
• * Complementary XUV transient absorption spectroscopy for femtosecond-resolution studies.

Main Results:

• * Successful time-resolved XEOL measurements were performed on sodium salicylate, 4-carbazole benzoic acid, and a zirconium oxo-cluster.
• * Decay mechanisms of molecules following XUV and soft-x-ray excitation were identified.
• * Comparison of XUV-excited luminescence with longer-wavelength excitation provided insights into excitation-dependent processes.

Conclusions:

• * Time-resolved XEOL is established as a novel technique for studying transient XUV-driven phenomena in solids.
• * The developed beamline offers a versatile platform for investigating ultrafast dynamics in materials.
• * This work advances the understanding of XUV-matter interactions and material response mechanisms.