| 1. |
- Vodungbo, Boris, et al.
(författare)
-
Indirect excitation of ultrafast demagnetization.
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Does the excitation of ultrafast magnetization require direct interaction between the photons of the optical pump pulse and the magnetic layer? Here, we demonstrate unambiguously that this is not the case. For this we have studied the magnetization dynamics of a ferromagnetic cobalt/palladium multilayer capped by an IR-opaque aluminum layer. Upon excitation with an intense femtosecond-short IR laser pulse, the film exhibits the classical ultrafast demagnetization phenomenon although only a negligible number of IR photons penetrate the aluminum layer. In comparison with an uncapped cobalt/palladium reference film, the initial demagnetization of the capped film occurs with a delayed onset and at a slower rate. Both observations are qualitatively in line with energy transport from the aluminum layer into the underlying magnetic film by the excited, hot electrons of the aluminum film. Our data thus confirm recent theoretical predictions.
|
|
| 2. |
- Zhou Hagström, Nanna, 1993-, et al.
(författare)
-
Megahertz-rate Ultrafast X-ray Scattering and Holographic Imaging at the European XFEL
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The advent of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has revolutionized fundamental science, from atomic to condensed matter physics, from chemistry to biology, giving researchers access to X-rays with unprecedented brightness, coherence, and pulse duration. All XFEL facilities built until recently provided X-ray pulses at a relatively low repetition rate, with limited data statistics. Here, we present the results from the first megahertz repetition rate X-ray scattering experiments at the Spectroscopy and Coherent Scattering (SCS) instrument of the European XFEL. We illustrate the experimental capabilities that the SCS instrument offers, resulting from the operation at MHz repetition rates and the availability of the novel DSSC 2D imaging detector. Time-resolved magnetic X-ray scattering and holographic imaging experiments in solid state samples were chosen as representative examples, providing an ideal test-bed for operation at megahertz rates. Nevertheless, our results are relevant and applicable to any other non-destructive XFEL experiments in the soft X-ray range.
|
|
| 3. |
- Zhou Hagström, Nanna, 1993-, et al.
(författare)
-
Megahertz-rate ultrafast X-ray scattering and holographic imaging at the European XFEL
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of Synchrotron Radiation. - : International Union of Crystallography (IUCr). - 0909-0495 .- 1600-5775. ; 29, s. 1454-1464
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The advent of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has revolutionized fundamental science, from atomic to condensed matter physics, from chemistry to biology, giving researchers access to X-rays with unprecedented brightness, coherence and pulse duration. All XFEL facilities built until recently provided X-ray pulses at a relatively low repetition rate, with limited data statistics. Here, results from the first megahertz-repetition-rate X-ray scattering experiments at the Spectroscopy and Coherent Scattering (SCS) instrument of the European XFEL are presented. The experimental capabilities that the SCS instrument offers, resulting from the operation at megahertz repetition rates and the availability of the novel DSSC 2D imaging detector, are illustrated. Time-resolved magnetic X-ray scattering and holographic imaging experiments in solid state samples were chosen as representative, providing an ideal test-bed for operation at megahertz rates. Our results are relevant and applicable to any other non-destructive XFEL experiments in the soft X-ray range.
|
|
| 4. |
- Begam, Nafisa, et al.
(författare)
-
Effects of temperature and ionic strength on the microscopic structure and dynamics of egg white gels
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Chemical Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-9606 .- 1089-7690. ; 158:7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigate the thermal gelation of egg white proteins at different temperatures with varying salt concentrations using x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy in the geometry of ultra-small angle x-ray scattering. Temperature-dependent structural investigation suggests a faster network formation with increasing temperature, and the gel adopts a more compact network, which is inconsistent with the conventional understanding of thermal aggregation. The resulting gel network shows a fractal dimension δ, ranging from 1.5 to 2.2. The values of δ display a non-monotonic behavior with increasing amount of salt. The corresponding dynamics in the q range of 0.002–0.1 nm−1 is observable after major change of the gel structure. The extracted relaxation time exhibits a two-step power law growth in dynamics as a function of waiting time. In the first regime, the dynamics is associated with structural growth, whereas the second regime is associated with the aging of the gel, which is directly linked with its compactness, as quantified by the fractal dimension. The gel dynamics is characterized by a compressed exponential relaxation with a ballistic-type of motion. The addition of salt gradually makes the early stage dynamics faster. Both gelation kinetics and microscopic dynamics show that the activation energy barrier in the system systematically decreases with increasing salt concentration.
|
|
| 5. |
- Bin, Maddalena, et al.
(författare)
-
Coherent X-ray Scattering Reveals Nanoscale Fluctuations in Hydrated Proteins
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 127:21, s. 4922-4930
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hydrated proteins undergo a transition in the deeply supercooled regime, which is attributed to rapid changes in hydration water and protein structural dynamics. Here, we investigate the nanoscale stress-relaxation in hydrated lysozyme proteins stimulated and probed by X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS). This approach allows us to access the nanoscale dynamics in the deeply supercooled regime (T = 180 K), which is typically not accessible through equilibrium methods. The observed stimulated dynamic response is attributed to collective stress-relaxation as the system transitions from a jammed granular state to an elastically driven regime. The relaxation time constants exhibit Arrhenius temperature dependence upon cooling with a minimum in the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts exponent at T = 227 K. The observed minimum is attributed to an increase in dynamical heterogeneity, which coincides with enhanced fluctuations observed in the two-time correlation functions and a maximum in the dynamic susceptibility quantified by the normalized variance χT. The amplification of fluctuations is consistent with previous studies of hydrated proteins, which indicate the key role of density and enthalpy fluctuations in hydration water. Our study provides new insights into X-ray stimulated stress-relaxation and the underlying mechanisms behind spatiotemporal fluctuations in biological granular materials.
|
|
| 6. |
- Filianina, Mariia, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
-
Nanocrystallites Modulate Intermolecular Interactions in Cryoprotected Protein Solutions
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 127:27, s. 6197-6204
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Studying protein interactions at low temperatures hasimportantimplications for optimizing cryostorage processes of biological tissue,food, and protein-based drugs. One of the major issues is relatedto the formation of ice nanocrystals, which can occur even in thepresence of cryoprotectants and can lead to protein denaturation.The presence of ice nanocrystals in protein solutions poses severalchallenges since, contrary to microscopic ice crystals, they can bedifficult to resolve and can complicate the interpretation of experimentaldata. Here, using a combination of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS and WAXS), we investigate the structural evolution of concentratedlysozyme solutions in a cryoprotected glycerol-water mixturefrom room temperature (T = 300 K) down to cryogenictemperatures (T = 195 K). Upon cooling, we observea transition near the melting temperature of the solution (T & AP; 245 K), which manifests both in the temperaturedependence of the scattering intensity peak position reflecting protein-proteinlength scales (SAXS) and the interatomic distances within the solvent(WAXS). Upon thermal cycling, a hysteresis is observed in the scatteringintensity, which is attributed to the formation of nanocrystallitesin the order of 10 nm. The experimental data are well described bythe two-Yukawa model, which indicates temperature-dependent changesin the short-range attraction of the protein-protein interactionpotential. Our results demonstrate that the nanocrystal growth yieldseffectively stronger protein-protein attraction and influencesthe protein pair distribution function beyond the first coordinationshell.
|
|
| 7. |
- Ksenzov, Dmitriy, et al.
(författare)
-
Nanoscale Transient Magnetization Gratings Created and Probed by Femtosecond Extreme Ultraviolet Pulses
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Nano Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1530-6984 .- 1530-6992. ; 21:7, s. 2905-2911
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We utilize coherent femtosecond extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pulses from a free electron laser (FEL) to generate transient periodic magnetization patterns with periods as short as 44 nm. Combining spatially periodic excitation with resonant probing at the M-edge of cobalt allows us to create and probe transient gratings of electronic and magnetic excitations in a CoGd alloy. In a demagnetized sample, we observe an electronic excitation with a rise time close to the FEL pulse duration and similar to 0.5 ps decay time indicative of electron-phonon relaxation. When the sample is magnetized to saturation in an external field, we observe a magnetization grating, which appears on a subpicosecond time scale as the sample is demagnetized at the maxima of the EUV intensity and then decays on the time scale of tens of picoseconds via thermal diffusion. The described approach opens multiple avenues for studying dynamics of ultrafast magnetic phenomena on nanometer length scales.
|
|
| 8. |
- Perakis, Fivos, et al.
(författare)
-
Towards molecular movies with X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 22:35, s. 19443-19453
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this perspective article we highlight research opportunities and challenges in probing structural dynamics of molecular systems using X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS). The development of new X-ray sources, such as 4th generation storage rings and X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs), provides promising new insights into molecular motion. Employing XPCS at these sources allows to capture a very broad range of timescales and lengthscales, spanning from femtoseconds to minutes and atomic scales to the mesoscale. Here, we discuss the scientific questions that can be addressed with these novel tools for two prominent examples: the dynamics of proteins in biomolecular condensates and the dynamics of supercooled water. Finally, we provide practical tips for designing and estimating feasibility of XPCS experiments as well as on detecting and mitigating radiation damage.
|
|
| 9. |
- Reiser, Mario, et al.
(författare)
-
Resolving molecular diffusion and aggregation of antibody proteins with megahertz X-ray free-electron laser pulses
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 13
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) with megahertz repetition rate can provide novel insights into structural dynamics of biological macromolecule solutions. However, very high dose rates can lead to beam-induced dynamics and structural changes due to radiation damage. Here, we probe the dynamics of dense antibody protein (Ig-PEG) solutions using megahertz X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (MHz-XPCS) at the European XFEL. By varying the total dose and dose rate, we identify a regime for measuring the motion of proteins in their first coordination shell, quantify XFEL-induced effects such as driven motion, and map out the extent of agglomeration dynamics. The results indicate that for average dose rates below 1.06 kGy μs−1 in a time window up to 10 μs, it is possible to capture the protein dynamics before the onset of beam induced aggregation. We refer to this approach as correlation before aggregation and demonstrate that MHz-XPCS bridges an important spatio-temporal gap in measurement techniques for biological samples.
|
|
| 10. |
- Timmermann, Sonja, et al.
(författare)
-
Automated matching of two-time X-ray photon correlation mans from phase-separating proteins with Cahn-Hilliard-type simulations using auto-encoder networks
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Journal of applied crystallography. - 0021-8898 .- 1600-5767. ; 55, s. 751-757
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Machine learning methods are used for an automated classification of experimental two-time X-ray photon correlation maps from an arrested liquid–liquid phase separation of a protein solution. The correlation maps are matched with correlation maps generated with Cahn–Hilliard-type simulations of liquid–liquid phase separations according to two simulation parameters and in the last step interpreted in the framework of the simulation. The matching routine employs an auto-encoder network and a differential evolution based algorithm. The method presented here is a first step towards handling large amounts of dynamic data measured at high-brilliance synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser sources, facilitating fast comparison with phase field models of phase separation.
|
|
