Time-resolved molecular dynamics using XUV ionization of aligned molecules

新的超短、XUV/X射线光源，如高谐波产生和一些最近投入使用的XUV/X射线自由电子激光器，在化学科学中提供了独特的新机会，这既基于可以实现的脉冲持续时间（这使得在其自然、阿秒、时间尺度上研究电子动力学），也基于使用XUV/X射线光固有的高光子能量。这使得开发基于衍射而不是吸收特性的新光谱成为可能。在这方面，提议在柏林（德国）的Max Born研究所和塞格德大学（匈牙利）之间开展一个联合研究项目，目标是1。利用双色高谐波（HHG）产生强、超短、高光子能量（100 ~ 500 eV）的激光脉冲；利用光电离电子的衍射，将这些脉冲用于中小尺寸分子结构变化的时间分辨研究。该项目汇集了MBI在利用激光对准分子的XUV电离进行分子成像方面的互补专业知识，以及塞格德在（双色）高谐波产生方面的专业知识。在该项目中，塞格德团队的理论成果将在MBI现有的实验基础设施上进行测试并转移。这将在联合实验工作的框架内完成，在此过程中，分子排列和成像方面的专业知识将转移给塞格德。该项目将导致一种原创方法的发展，用于制作化学转化的“分子电影”。

New ultrashort, XUV/X‐ray light sources, such as high‐harmonic generation and several recently commissioned XUV/X‐ray free electron lasers, offer unique new opportunities in the chemical sciences, both on the basis of the pulse durations that can be achieved (which enable studies of electron dynamics on its natural, attosecond, timescale), and on the basis of the high photon energy that is intrinsic to the use of XUV/X‐ray light, which allows to develop new spectroscopies that are based on diffractive, rather than, absorptive properties. In this context, a joint research project between the Max Born Institute in Berlin (Germany) and the University of Szeged (Hungary) is proposed, targeting1. the generation of intense, ultrashort, high photon energy (100‐500 eV) laser pulses by means of twocolor high‐harmonic generation (HHG), and2. the use of these pulses in time‐resolved studies of structural changes in small to medium‐size molecules, making use of the diffraction of photo‐ionized electronsThe project brings together complementary expertise of MBI on molecular imaging using XUV ionization of laser‐aligned molecules, and expertise on (two‐color) high‐harmonic generation by Szeged. Within the project, the outcome of theoretical efforts by the Szeged team will be tested on and transferred to the available experimental infrastructure at MBI. This will be done in the framework of joint experimental work, in the course of which expertise on molecular alignment and imaging will be transferred to Szeged.The project should lead to the development of an original method for making “molecular movies” of chemical transformations.