Ultrafast soft X-ray emission spectroscopy of surface adsorbates using an X-ray free electron laser

• We report on an experimental system designed to probe chemical reactions on solid surfaces on a sub-picosecond timescale using soft X-ray emission spectroscopy at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) free electron laser (FEL) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We analyzed the O 1s X-ray emission spectra recorded from atomic oxygen adsorbed on a Ru(0001) surface at a synchrotron beamline (SSRL, BL13-2) and an FEL beamline (LCLS, SXR). We have demonstrated conditions that provide negligible amount of FEL induced damage of the sample. In addition we show that the setup is capable of tracking the temporal evolution of electronic structure during a surface reaction of submonolayer quantities of CO molecules desorbing from the surface.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

X-ray emission spectroscopy

Surface science

Free electron laser

Ultrafast

kemisk fysik

Chemical Physics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)