Felix Sturm

Shapes and vorticities of superfluid helium nanodroplets

X-raying superfluid helium droplets When physicists rotate the superfluid 4He, it develops a regular array of tiny whirlpools, called vortices. The same phenomenon should occur in helium droplets half a micrometer in size, but studying individual droplets is tricky. Gomez et al. used x-ray diffraction to deduce the shape of individual rotating droplets and image the resulting vortex patterns, which confirmed the superfluidity of the droplets. They found that superfluid droplets can host a surprising number of vortices and can rotate faster than normal droplets without disintegrating. Science, this issue p. 906 Vortex lattices inside individual helium droplets are imaged using x-ray diffraction. Helium nanodroplets are considered ideal model systems to explore quantum hydrodynamics in self-contained, isolated superfluids. However, exploring the dynamic properties of individual droplets is experimentally challenging. In this work, we used single-shot femtosecond x-ray coherent diffractive imaging to investigate the rotation of single, isolated superfluid helium-4 droplets containing ~108 to 1011 atoms. The formation of quantum vortex lattices inside the droplets is confirmed by observing characteristic Bragg patterns from xenon clusters trapped in the vortex cores. The vortex densities are up to five orders of magnitude larger than those observed in bulk liquid helium. The droplets exhibit large centrifugal deformations but retain axially symmetric shapes at angular velocities well beyond the stability range of viscous classical droplets.

Atomic-scale perspective of ultrafast charge transfer at a dye-semiconductor interface

Understanding interfacial charge-transfer processes on the atomic level is crucial to support the rational design of energy-challenge relevant systems such as solar cells, batteries, and photocatalysts. A femtosecond time-resolved core-level photoelectron spectroscopy study is performed that probes the electronic structure of the interface between ruthenium-based N3 dye molecules and ZnO nanocrystals within the first picosecond after photoexcitation and from the unique perspective of the Ru reporter atom at the center of the dye. A transient chemical shift of the Ru 3d inner-shell photolines by (2.3 ± 0.2) eV to higher binding energies is observed 500 fs after photoexcitation of the dye. The experimental results are interpreted with the aid of ab initio calculations using constrained density functional theory. Strong indications for the formation of an interfacial charge-transfer state are presented, providing direct insight into a transient electronic configuration that may limit the efficiency of photoinduced free charge-carrier generation.

Time-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques for real-time studies of interfacial charge transfer dynamics

X-ray based spectroscopy techniques are particularly well suited to gain access to local oxidation states and electronic dynamics in complex systems with atomic pinpoint accuracy. Traditionally, these techniques are applied in a quasi-static fashion that usually highlights the steady-state properties of a system rather than the fast dynamics that often define the system function on a molecular level. Novel x-ray spectroscopy techniques enabled by free electron lasers (FELs) and synchrotron based pump-probe schemes provide the opportunity to monitor intramolecular and interfacial charge transfer processes in real-time and with element and chemical specificity. Two complementary time-domain xray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques are presented that are applied at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) and the Advanced Light Source (ALS) to study charge transfer processes in N3 dye-sensitized ZnO semiconductor nanocrystals, which are at the heart of emerging light-harvesting technologies.

Time resolved 3D momentum imaging of ultrafast dynamics by coherent VUV-XUV radiation

We present a new experimental setup for measuring ultrafast nuclear and electron dynamics of molecules after photo-excitation and ionization. We combine a high flux femtosecond vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) source with an internally cold molecular beam and a 3D momentum imaging particle spectrometer to measure electrons and ions in coincidence. We describe a variety of tools developed to perform pump-probe studies in the VUV-XUV spectrum and to modify and characterize the photon beam. First benchmark experiments are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the system.

Experimental Proof of Resonant Auger Decay Driven Intermolecular Coulombic Decay

Resonant Auger decay driven Intermolecular Coulombic Decay through synchrotron radiation in gas phase carbon monoxided dimers and nitrogen dimers has been studied. We report the first experiment where the low-energy ICD-electron has been measured in coincidence with the ionic fragments and Resonant Auger ICD has been proved experimentally.

Femtosecond time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of charge transfer in dye-sensitized semiconductor nanocrystals

A femtosecond time-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiment at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) provides an atomic perspective of the transient electronic states at a molecule-nanocrystal interface used in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Dissociative Photoionization of Methane at the Carbon K-edge

We have used soft X-ray radiation from the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in combination with Cold Target Recoil Ion Momentum Spectroscopy (COLTRIMS) to examine the correlated momenta of the photoelectron and molecular fragments arising from the dissociative photoionization of methane. In particular, we are studying (1) molecule frame photoelectron angular distributions as a stringent test of theory and (2) the interplay between electronic and nuclear dynamics through the correlated measurement of vibrationational state population and fragmentation branching ratios and kinetic energy release.

Double Auger Emission of fixed-in-space Carbon Monoxide following Core-Excitation and Ionization

Double Auger decay after core-level photo excitation and after ionization through synchrotron radiation in gas phase carbon monoxide has been studied. We report the first experiment where both Auger electrons in double Auger decay have been measured in coincidence with the ionic fragments.