A simple electron time-of-flight spectrometer for ultrafast vacuum ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy of liquid solutions

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4899062· OSTI ID:22305880

Ojeda, J.; Mourik, F. van; Chergui, M. ^[1]; Sabbar, M.; Gallmann, L.; Keller, U. ^[2]; Okell, W. A.; Witting, T.; Siegel, T.; Diveki, Z.; Hutchinson, S.; Marangos, J. P. ^[3]; Chapman, R. T.; Cacho, C.; Rodrigues, N.; Springate, E. ^[4]

---

1. Laboratory of Ultrafast Spectroscopy, ISIC, Station 6, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)
2. Physics Department, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland)
3. Department of Physics, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
4. Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxon OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)

We present a simple electron time of flight spectrometer for time resolved photoelectron spectroscopy of liquid samples using a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) source produced by high-harmonic generation. The field free spectrometer coupled with the time-preserving monochromator for the VUV at the Artemis facility of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory achieves an energy resolution of 0.65 eV at 40 eV with a sub 100 fs temporal resolution. A key feature of the design is a differentially pumped drift tube allowing a microliquid jet to be aligned and started at ambient atmosphere while preserving a pressure of 10⁻¹ mbar at the micro channel plate detector. The pumping requirements for photoelectron (PE) spectroscopy in vacuum are presented, while the instrument performance is demonstrated with PE spectra of salt solutions in water. The capability of the instrument for time resolved measurements is demonstrated by observing the ultrafast (50 fs) vibrational excitation of water leading to temporary proton transfer.

• OSTI ID: 22305880
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 85, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Publisher: Optical Society of America
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
DRIFT TUBES
ELECTRONS
ENERGY RESOLUTION
EXCITATION
FAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
HARMONIC GENERATION
MICROCHANNEL ELECTRON MULTIPLIERS
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PROTONS
TIME RESOLUTION
TIME-OF-FLIGHT SPECTROMETERS