The laser pump X-ray probe system at LISA P08 PETRA III

Area of Science:

• Surface Science
• Nanotechnology
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Controlling liquid interface structure and function is crucial for applications in biology, nanoscience, and nanotechnology.
• X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence diffraction are key techniques for atomic-scale analysis of liquid interfaces.
• Investigating dynamic processes at liquid interfaces requires high temporal resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel time-resolved laser system coupled with X-ray diffraction for studying liquid interfaces.
• To achieve picosecond and nanosecond time resolution for observing photo-induced structural changes.
• To demonstrate the capability of this system for investigating dynamic phenomena at liquid surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a femtosecond laser as a pump source and X-ray diffraction as a probe.
• Employed the LISA liquid diffractometer at beamline P08 of the PETRA III synchrotron radiation source.
• Implemented pump-probe techniques to capture ultrafast structural dynamics.

Main Results:

• Achieved a time resolution of 38 picoseconds (ps), verified using Bismuth (Bi).
• Successfully demonstrated the system's proof of concept through experiments on salt solutions and liquid mercury.
• Collected data on static and time-resolved laser-induced effects at liquid surfaces.

Conclusions:

• The new laser-diffractometer system offers unique capabilities for investigating ultrafast structural dynamics at liquid interfaces.
• This technique opens new avenues for research in areas like molecular electronics and controlled drug release.
• The achieved time resolution is sufficient for studying pico- and nanosecond scale photo-induced processes.