Surface dynamics on atomic length and time scales: A new opportunity in experimental science

我们的建议旨在开辟超短时间尺度（即皮秒到纳秒）纳米级表面传输的新兴领域。单个原子和分子在这些时间尺度上的运动在根本上和技术上都很重要。从新催化剂的开发，到了解纳米结构如何通过自组装构建，甚至了解摩擦和磨损的微观起源，这些领域都将受益于我们提出的基础工作。在如此快的时间尺度上（对应于两个原子相互通过所需的典型时间长度）测量表面输运是困难的；目前的显微镜不能达到必要的成像率。然而，申请者最近在剑桥卡文迪什实验室开发了一种新仪器，使这一具有挑战性的领域的工作成为可能。最近对“氦-3自旋回波”能力的演示代表了一个非常成功的高风险项目的高潮。目前的拨款申请旨在通过提供重要的支持仪器、专业人员和未来四年的运行费用，充分发挥这一仪器的潜力。这些将完成一个独特的，世界领先的设施，使英国保持其目前在这一重要领域的领先地位。该计划将包括测量和仪器开发的结合。测量将涉及范围广泛的系统，从清洁金属上的简单原子和分子，到纳米结构表面上的大分子和运输过程。我们将获得其他不可用的信息，描述热激活条件下的动力学，其中技术上重要的过程发生。所获得的信息对于理解催化过程、测试结构和键合理论模型的有效性以及理解摩擦的微观起源等学科都很重要。为了有效地使用新设备，需要新的设备。波束源和探测设备都将得到改进，这将使我们能够更快地进行测量，并实现更大范围的测量。我们将增加目前缺少的标准样品制备设备，以提高通量并优化科学投资回报，以及样品转移设备，以实现快速样品交换和异地样品制备。“自旋回声”仪器的独特范围将成为一系列新的国际合作的重点，支持该研究委员会目前的几个业务目标。英国和国外的几个研究小组已经表示有兴趣在实验和理论上进行合作。考虑到测量范围的多样化和该领域的跨学科性质——将基础物理学与表面化学、材料科学甚至纳米工程联系起来——这些合作可能会特别富有成效。

Our proposal is designed to open up the emerging field of nanoscale surface transport on ultra-short time scales (i.e. picoseconds to nanoseconds). The motion of single atoms and molecules on these time scales is both fundamentally and technologically important. Fields ranging from the development of new catalysts, to understanding how nanostructures can be built by self assembly, and even understanding the microscopic origins of friction and wear, will all benefit from the fundamental work we propose.Measuring surface transport on such fast time scales (which correspond to the typical length of time required for two atoms to pass each other), is difficult; current microscopy cannot achieve the necessary imaging rates. However, the applicants have recently developed a new instrument at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, which makes work in this challenging field possible. The recent demonstration of the capabilities of 'helium-3 spin-echo' represents the culmination of a very successful high-risk project. The present grant application is designed to realise the full potential of this apparatus, by providing vital support instrumentation, specialist staff and running costs for the next four years. These will complete a unique, world-leading facility, allowing the U.K to maintain its present, leading position in this important field.The programme will include a combination of measurement and instrumentation development. Measurements will address a wide range of systems, ranging from simple atoms and molecules on clean metals, to larger molecules and transport processes on nanostructured surfaces. We will obtain otherwise unavailable information, describing dynamics under the thermally activated conditions, where technologically important processes occur. The information made available will be important to disciplines ranging from understanding the processes involved in catalysis, to testing the validity of theoretical models of structure and bonding, and understanding the microscopic origins of friction.New equipment is needed to enable effective use of the new apparatus. Both the beam source and detection equipment will be improved, which will allow us to make measurements much more quickly and enable a much wider range of measurements. We will add the standard sample preparation equipment, which is currently missing from the apparatus, to increase the throughput and optimise the scientific return on the investment, as well as sample transfer equipment to allow rapid sample exchanges and ex-situ sample preparation.The unique scope of the 'spin-echo' instrument will form a focus for a series of new international collaborations, supporting several of the research council's current operating objectives. Several research groups, both in the UK and abroad have already expressed interest in co-operation, both experimentally and theoretically. These collaborations are likely to be particularly productive, given the diverse range of measurements that will be possible and the interdisciplinary nature of the field - linking fundamental physics with surface chemistry, materials science and even nanoscale engineering.