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Title: Towards efficient time-resolved X-ray absorption studies of electron dynamics at photocatalytic interfaces

Journal Article · · Faraday Discussions
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c6fd00125d· OSTI ID:1845090
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

We present a picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (tr-XAS) setup designed for synchrotron-based studies of interfacial photochemical dynamics. The apparatus combines a high power, variable repetition rate picosecond laser system with a time-resolved X-ray fluorescence yield detection technique. Time-tagging of the detected fluorescence signals enables the parallel acquisition of X-ray absorption spectra at a variety of pump–probe delays employing the well-defined time structure of the X-ray pulse trains. The viability of the setup is demonstrated by resolving dynamic changes in the fine structure near the O1s X-ray absorption edge of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) after photo-excitation with a 355 nm laser pulse. Two distinct responses are detected. A pronounced, quasi-static, reversible change of the Cu2O O1s X-ray absorption spectrum by up to ~30% compared to its static line shape corresponds to a redshift of the absorption edge by ~1 eV. This value is small compared to the 2.2 eV band gap of Cu2O but in agreement with previously published results. Here, the lifetime of this effect exceeds the laser pulse-to-pulse period of 8 μs, resulting in a quasi-static spectral change that persists as long as the sample is exposed to the laser light, and completely vanishes once the laser is blocked. Additionally, a short-lived response corresponding to a laser-induced shift of the main absorption line by ~2 eV to lower energies appears within <200 ps and decays with a characteristic timescale of 43 ± 5 ns. Both the picosecond rise and nanosecond decay of this X-ray response are simultaneously captured by making use of a time-tagging approach – highlighting the prospects of the experimental setup for efficient probing of the electronic and structural dynamics in photocatalytic systems on multiple timescales.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1845090
Journal Information:
Faraday Discussions, Vol. 194; ISSN 1359-6640
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (4)

Femtosecond time-resolved two-photon photoemission studies of ultrafast carrier relaxation in Cu2O photoelectrodes journal May 2019
Decomposing electronic and lattice contributions in optical pump – X-ray probe transient inner-shell absorption spectroscopy of CuO text January 2019
Ultrafast photoinduced energy and charge transfer journal January 2019
Decomposing electronic and lattice contributions in optical pump – X-ray probe transient inner-shell absorption spectroscopy of CuO journal January 2019

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