Size-Dependent Ultrafast Ionization Dynamics of Nanoscale Samples in Intense Femtosecond X-Ray Free-Electron-Laser Pulses

Sebastian Schorb, Daniela Rupp, Michelle L. Swiggers, Ryan N. Coffee, Marc Messerschmidt, Garth Williams, John D. Bozek, Shin-Ichi Wada, Oleg Kornilov, Thomas Möller, and Christoph Bostedt

Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 233401 – Published 4 June 2012

Abstract

All matter exposed to intense femtosecond x-ray pulses from the Linac Coherent Light Source free-electron laser is strongly ionized on time scales competing with the inner-shell vacancy lifetimes. We show that for nanoscale objects the environment, i.e., nanoparticle size, is an important parameter for the time-dependent ionization dynamics. The Auger lifetimes of large Ar clusters are found to be increased compared to small clusters and isolated atoms, due to delocalization of the valence electrons in the x-ray-induced nanoplasma. As a consequence, large nanometer-sized samples absorb intense femtosecond x-ray pulses less efficiently than small ones.

Received 15 February 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.233401

Authors & Affiliations

Sebastian Schorb¹, Daniela Rupp², Michelle L. Swiggers¹, Ryan N. Coffee¹, Marc Messerschmidt¹, Garth Williams¹, John D. Bozek¹, Shin-Ichi Wada^1,3, Oleg Kornilov⁴, Thomas Möller², and Christoph Bostedt¹

¹Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford, California 94309, USA
²Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstraße 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany
³Department of Physical Science, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
⁴Max-Born-Institute, Max-Born-Straße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany