Stimulated x-ray Raman scattering
Novel approaches to the study of light-induced chemical and structural dynamics have been made possible by the femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) that enables time-resolved X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy. In particular, Stimulated Resonant Inelastic X-Ray scattering (S-RIXS) is a promising technique which potentially allows to follow electronic wave packets or the coupled motion of the electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom on femtosecond timescales. The experimental implementation and the critical assessment of S-RIXS have established it as the building block of nonlinear x-ray spectroscopy. The high temporal and spatial resolution granted by S-RIXS make it possible to study chemical processes such as intramolecular electron transfers. The importance of these reactions resides in their ubiquity in nature and their key role in fundamental natural processes. Our research aims at contributing to the understanding of such processes in simple model systems, e.g. NCS, with the ultimate ambition of extending our studies to molecules with pivotal biological importance such as DNA.
Example of potential scheme for the study of electron transfer in NCS. The S-RIXS process creates a localized wave-packet on N (blue wave in the figure). The propagation of the wave packet across the molecule results in changes in the properties of the neighboring atoms which are probed by means a subsequent x-ray probe pulse.
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