TY - JOUR A1 - Dell'Angela, M. A1 - Anniyev, Toyli A1 - Beye, Martin A1 - Coffee, Ryan A1 - Föhlisch, Alexander A1 - Gladh, J. A1 - Katayama, T. A1 - Kaya, S. A1 - Krupin, O. A1 - LaRue, J. A1 - Mogelhoj, A. A1 - Nordlund, D. A1 - Norskov, J. K. A1 - Oberg, H. A1 - Ogasawara, H. A1 - Ostrom, H. A1 - Pettersson, Lars G. M. A1 - Schlotter, W. F. A1 - Sellberg, J. A. A1 - Sorgenfrei, Nomi A1 - Turner, J. J. A1 - Wolf, M. A1 - Wurth, W. A1 - Nilsson, A. T1 - Real-time observation of surface bond breaking with an X-ray Laser JF - Science N2 - We used the Linac Coherent Light Source free-electron x-ray laser to probe the electronic structure of CO molecules as their chemisorption state on Ru(0001) changes upon exciting the substrate by using a femtosecond optical laser pulse. We observed electronic structure changes that are consistent with a weakening of the CO interaction with the substrate but without notable desorption. A large fraction of the molecules (30%) was trapped in a transient precursor state that would precede desorption. We calculated the free energy of the molecule as a function of the desorption reaction coordinate using density functional theory, including van der Waals interactions. Two distinct adsorption wells-chemisorbed and precursor state separated by an entropy barrier-explain the anomalously high prefactors often observed in desorption of molecules from metals. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1231711 SN - 0036-8075 VL - 339 IS - 6125 SP - 1302 EP - 1305 PB - American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beye, Martin A1 - Anniyev, Toyli A1 - Coffee, Ryan A1 - Dell'Angela, Martina A1 - Föhlisch, Alexander A1 - Gladh, J. A1 - Katayama, T. A1 - Kaya, S. A1 - Krupin, O. A1 - Mogelhoj, A. A1 - Nilsson, A. A1 - Nordlund, D. A1 - Norskov, J. K. A1 - Oberg, H. A1 - Ogasawara, H. A1 - Pettersson, Lars G. M. A1 - Schlotter, W. F. A1 - Sellberg, J. A. A1 - Sorgenfrei, Nomi A1 - Turner, J. J. A1 - Wolf, M. A1 - Wurth, Wilfried A1 - Ostrom, H. T1 - Selective ultrafast probing of transient hot chemisorbed and precursor States of CO on Ru(0001) JF - Physical review letters N2 - We have studied the femtosecond dynamics following optical laser excitation of CO adsorbed on a Ru surface by monitoring changes in the occupied and unoccupied electronic structure using ultrafast soft x-ray absorption and emission. We recently reported [M. Dell'Angela et al. Science 339, 1302 (2013)] a phonon-mediated transition into a weakly adsorbed precursor state occurring on a time scale of >2 ps prior to desorption. Here we focus on processes within the first picosecond after laser excitation and show that the metal-adsorbate coordination is initially increased due to hot-electron-driven vibrational excitations. This process is faster than, but occurs in parallel with, the transition into the precursor state. With resonant x-ray emission spectroscopy, we probe each of these states selectively and determine the respective transient populations depending on optical laser fluence. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of CO adsorbed on Ru(0001) were performed at 1500 and 3000 K providing insight into the desorption process. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.186101 SN - 0031-9007 VL - 110 IS - 18 PB - American Physical Society CY - College Park ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beye, Martin A1 - Schreck, S. A1 - Sorgenfrei, Nomi A1 - Trabant, C. A1 - Pontius, N. A1 - Schüßler-Langeheine, C. A1 - Wurth, W. A1 - Föhlisch, Alexander T1 - Stimulated X-ray emission for materials science JF - Nature : the international weekly journal of science N2 - Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy can be used to probe the energy and dispersion of the elementary low-energy excitations that govern functionality in matter: vibronic, charge, spin and orbital excitations(1-7). A key drawback of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering has been the need for high photon densities to compensate for fluorescence yields of less than a per cent for soft X-rays(8). Sample damage from the dominant non-radiative decays thus limits the materials to which such techniques can be applied and the spectral resolution that can be obtained. A means of improving the yield is therefore highly desirable. Here we demonstrate stimulated X-ray emission for crystalline silicon at photon densities that are easily achievable with free-electron lasers(9). The stimulated radiative decay of core excited species at the expense of non-radiative processes reduces sample damage and permits narrow-bandwidth detection in the directed beam of stimulated radiation. We deduce how stimulated X-ray emission can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude to provide, with high yield and reduced sample damage, a superior probe for low-energy excitations and their dispersion in matter. This is the first step to bringing nonlinear X-ray physics in the condensed phase from theory(10-16) to application. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12449 SN - 0028-0836 VL - 501 IS - 7466 SP - 191 EP - + PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER -