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Results for “ultrafast electron diffraction”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Ultrafast Events in Electrocyclic Ring-Opening Reactions

Electrocyclic reactions are characterized by the concerted formation and cleavage of multiple σ and π bonds in a molecular system and have been extensively studied since they were introduced by Robert Burns Woodward and Roald Hoffmann in 1965. Recent advances and the integration of time-resolved experiments and nonadiabatic quantum molecular dynamics simulations have transformed the traditional understanding of electrocyclic reactions beyond the Woodward–Hoffmann rules. In this review, we focus on recent studies of 1,3-cyclohexadiene and two of its derivatives, α-phellandrene and α-terpinene, to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of electrocyclic photochemical reactions. We highlight recent progress in ultrafast electron diffraction techniques and the simulation approach of ab initio multiple spawning. Together, these approaches can elucidate molecular structure dynamics from femtosecond to picosecond timescales as well as nuclear and electronic responses at conical intersections.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of Cs 3 Sb photocathodes at cryogenic temperatures

Here, we report measurements of quantum efficiency (QE) and mean transverse energy (MTE) from Cs 3 Sb photocathodes in a wide range of photon energies at both room and cryogenic temperatures. Our measurements show a strong temperature dependence of MTE even at photon energies well above threshold, indicating the presence of strong inelastic scattering of excited electrons during transport before emission into vacuum. We also demonstrate a cathode cooling method that largely preserves the QE while reducing MTE, allowing us to achieve MTEs as low as 58 meV with 3% QE in green light from Cs 3 Sb photocathodes. Our results are crucial for producing brighter electron beams for various photoinjector applications like ultrafast electron diffraction and microscopy, x-ray free-electron lasers, and particle colliders.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Photoinduced twist and untwist of moiré superlattices

This paper directly observes femtosecond photoinduced twist–untwist motion of WSe₂/MoSe₂ moiré superlattices using ultrafast electron diffraction, showing that optical excitation can dynamically reconfigure moiré lattice structure and interlayer coupling. It supports the proposal by establishing the team’s ability to probe ultrafast interfacial and moiré dynamics, which is relevant to using moiré TMDs as reconfigurable platforms for controlling spin, charge, and molecular interactions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Element-specific ultrafast lattice dynamics in FePt nanoparticles

Light–matter interaction at the nanoscale in magnetic alloys and heterostructures is a topic of intense research in view of potential applications in high-density magnetic recording. While the element-specific dynamics of electron spins is directly accessible to resonant x-ray pulses with femtosecond time structure, the possible element-specific atomic motion remains largely unexplored. We use ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) to probe the temporal evolution of lattice Bragg peaks of FePt nanoparticles embedded in a carbon matrix following excitation by an optical femtosecond laser pulse. The diffraction interference between Fe and Pt sublattices enables us to demonstrate that the Fe mean square vibration amplitudes are significantly larger that those of Pt as expected from their different atomic mass. Both are found to increase as energy is transferred from the laser-excited electrons to the lattice. Contrary to this intuitive behavior, we observe a laser-induced lattice expansion that is larger for Pt than for Fe atoms during the first picosecond after laser excitation. This effect points to the strain-wave driven lattice expansion with the longitudinal acoustic Pt motion dominating that of Fe.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Focusing of relativistic electron beams with permanent magnetic solenoid

Achieving strong focusing of MeV electron beams is a critical requirement for advanced beam applications such as compact laboratory x-ray sources, high gradient accelerators, and ultrafast electron scattering instrumentation. To address these needs, a compact radially magnetized permanent magnetic solenoid (PMS) has been designed, fabricated, and tested. The solenoid provides a compact and inexpensive solution for delivering high axial magnetic fields (1 T) to focus MeV electron beams. Field characterization of the solenoid demonstrates good agreement with analytical models, validating the PMS design. The electron beam test employs a high-brightness photoinjector to study the focusing properties of the PMS. The results indicate a focal length of less than 10 cm and a significant reduction in beam size with small spherical aberrations. Two application cases are evaluated: angular magnification in ultrafast electron diffraction setups and strong focusing for Compton scattering or other microfocus uses.

Electron diffraction↗
DOE OSTI2024

Harnessing Plasmonic Interference for Nanoscale Ultrafast Electron Sources

In this Letter we demonstrate the use of plasmonic focusing in conjunction with nonlinear photoemission to develop geometrically flat nanoscale electron sources with less than 40 pm-rad root mean squared (rms) normalized transverse emittance. Circularly polarized light is incident on a gold Archimedean spiral structure to generate surface-plasmon polaritons that interfere coherently at the center resulting in a 50 nm rms emission area. Furthermore, such a nanostructured flat surface enables simultaneous spatiotemporal confinement of emitted electrons at the nanometer and femtosecond level and can be used as an advanced electron source for high-repetition-rate ultrafast electron diffraction and microscopy experiments as well as the next generation of miniaturized particle accelerators.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Probing the atomic dynamics of ultrafast melting with femtosecond electron diffraction

Melting is an every-day phase transition that is determined by thermodynamic parameters like temperature and pressure. In contrast, ultra-fast melting is governed by the microscopic response to a rapid energy input and, thus, can reveal the strength and dynamics of atomic bonds as well as the energy flow rate to the lattice. Accurately describing these processes remains challenging and requires detailed insights into transient states encountered. Here, we present data from femtosecond electron diffraction measurements that capture the structural evolution of copper during the ultrafast solid-to-liquid phase transformations. At absorbed energy densities 2-4 times the melting threshold, melting begins at the surface slightly below the nominal melting point followed by rapid homogeneous melting throughout the volume. Molecular dynamics simulations reproduce these observations and reveal a weak electron-lattice energy transfer rate for the given experimental conditions. Both simulations and experiments show no indications of rapid lattice collapse when its temperature surpasses proposed limits of superheating, providing evidence that the inherent dynamics limits the speed of disordering in ultrafast melting of metals.

FOS: Physical sciences↗
DOE OSTI2024

Wehnelt photoemission in an ultrafast electron microscope: Stability and usability

We tested and compared the stability and usability of three different cathode materials and configurations in a thermionic-based ultrafast electron microscope: (1) on-axis thermionic and photoemission from a custom 100 μm diameter LaB 6 source with a graphite guard ring, (2) off-axis photoemission from the Ni aperture surface of the Wehnelt electrode, and (3) on-axis thermionic and photoemission from a custom 200 μm diameter polycrystalline Ta source. For each cathode type and configuration, including the Ni Wehnelt aperture, we illustrate how the photoelectron beam-current stability is deleteriously impacted by simultaneous cooling of the source following thermionic heating. Furthermore, we demonstrate usability via collection of parallel- and convergent-beam electron diffraction patterns and by formation of the optimum probe size. We find that usability of the off-axis Ni Wehnelt-aperture photoemission is at least comparable to on-axis LaB 6 thermionic emission, as well as to on-axis photoemission [the heretofore conventional approach to ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) in thermionic-based instruments]. However, the stability and achievable beam currents for off-axis photoemission from the Wehnelt aperture were superior to that of the other cathode types and configurations, regardless of the electron-emission mechanism. Beam-current stability for this configuration was found to be ±1% (one standard deviation from the mean) for 70 min (longest duration tested), and steady-state beam current was reached within the sampling-time resolution used here (~1 s) for 15 pA beam currents (i.e., 460 electrons per packet for a 200 kHz repetition rate). Repeatability and robustness of the steady-state condition were also found to be within ±1% of the mean. We discuss the implications of these findings for UEM imaging and diffraction experiments, for pulsed-beam damage measurements, and for practical switching between optimum conventional TEM and UEM operation within the same instrument.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fast calculation of diffraction patterns from an ensemble of aligned molecules

We report an algorithm to calculate electron diffraction patterns for molecules with anisotropic angular distribution, which is significantly faster than existing methods. The algorithm uses a transform to convert the molecular orientation distribution, which is a function of three Euler angles, to the atom-pair distribution functions which depend on the polar and azimuthal angles. The diffraction signal can then be calculated from the atom-pair distributions. We demonstrate the computation method numerically by calculating electron diffraction patterns for a symmetric top molecule (trifluoroiodomethane) and an asymmetric top molecule (formaldehyde) and show that it reduces the calculation time by approximately two orders of magnitude compared to the standard brute-force method. Here, the method can also be applied to the calculation of x-ray diffraction patterns.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ultrafast structural dynamics of UV photoexcited cis , cis -1,3-cyclooctadiene observed with time-resolved electron diffraction

Conjugated diene molecules are highly reactive upon photoexcitation and can relax through multiple reaction channels that depend on the position of the double bonds and the degree of molecular rigidity. Understanding the photoinduced dynamics of these molecules is crucial for establishing general rules governing the relaxation and product formation. Here, in this study, we investigate the femtosecond time-resolved photoinduced excited-state structural dynamics of cis,cis-1,3-cyclooctadiene, a large-flexible cyclic conjugated diene molecule, upon excitation with 200 nm using mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction and trajectory surface hopping dynamics simulations. We tracked the photoinduced structural changes from the Franck–Condon region through the conical intersection seam to the ground state. Our findings revealed a novel primary reaction coordinate involving ring distortion, where the ring stretches along one axis and compresses along the perpendicular axis. The nuclear wavepacket remains compact along this reaction coordinate until it reaches the conical intersection seam, and it rapidly spreads as it approaches the ground state, where multiple products are formed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electrochemical Control of the Ultrafast Lattice Response of a Layered Semimetal

The unique layer-stacking in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials facilitates the formation of nearly degenerate phases of matter and opens novel routes for the design of low-power, reconfigurable functional materials. Electrochemical ion intercalation between stacked layers offers a promising approach to stabilize bulk metastable phases and to explore the effects of extreme carrier doping and strain. However, in situ characterization methods to study the structural evolution and dynamical functional properties of these intercalated materials remains limited. Here a novel experimental platform is presented capable of simultaneously performing electrochemical lithium-ion intercalation and multimodal ultrafast characterization of the lattice using both electron diffraction and nonlinear optical techniques. Using the layered semimetal WTe 2 as a model system, the interlayer shear phonon mode that modulates stacking between 2Dlayers is probed, showing that small amounts of lithiation enhance the amplitude and lifetime of the phonon, contrary to expectations. This results from the dynamically fluctuating and anharmonic structure between nearly degenerate phases at room temperature, which can be stabilized by electronic carriers accompanying the inserted lithium ions. At high lithiation, the T d ’ structure emerges and quenches the phonon response. This work defines new approaches for using electrochemistry to engineer the dynamic structure of 2D materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evidence of non-isentropic release from high residual temperatures in shocked metals measured with ultrafast x-ray diffraction

Shock experiments are widely used to understand the mechanical and electronic properties of matter under extreme conditions. However, after shock loading to a Hugoniot state, a clear description of the post-shock thermal state and its impacts on materials is still lacking. We used diffraction patterns from 100-fs x-ray pulses to investigate the temperature evolution of laser-shocked Al–Zr metal film composites at time delays ranging from 5 to 75 ns driven by a 120-ps short-pulse laser. We found significant heating of both Al and Zr after shock release, which can be attributed to heat generated by inelastic deformation. A conventional hydrodynamic model that employs (i) typical descriptions of Al and Zr mechanical strength and (ii) elevated strength responses (which might be attributed to an unknown strain rate dependence) did not fully account for the measured temperature increase, which suggests that other strength-related mechanisms (such as fine-scale void growth) could play an important role in thermal responses under shock wave loading/unloading cycles. Our results suggest that a significant portion of the total shock energy delivered by lasers becomes heat due to defect-facilitated plastic work, leaving less converted to kinetic energy. This heating effect may be common in laser-shocked experiments but has not been well acknowledged. High post-shock temperatures may induce phase transformation of materials during shock release. Another implication for the study is the preservability of magnetic records from planetary surfaces that have a shock history from frequent impact events.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Atomically Resolved Acoustic Dynamics Coupled with Magnetic Order in a Van der Waals Antiferromagnet

Magnetoelastic coupling in van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials enables a unique interplay between the spin and lattice degrees of freedom. Characterizing the elastic responses with atomic and femtosecond resolution across the magnetic transition is essential for guiding the design of magnetically tunable actuators and strain-mediated spintronic devices. Here, ultrafast X-ray diffraction employed at a free-electron laser reveals that the atomic displacements, wave vectors, and dispersion relations of acoustic phonon modes in a vdW antiferromagnet FePS3 are coupled with the magnetic order, by tracking both in-plane and out-of-plane Bragg peaks upon optical excitation across the Néel temperature (TN). One transverse mode shows that a quasi-out-of-plane atomic displacement undergoes a significant directional change across TN. Its quasi-in-plane wave vector is derived by comparing the measured sound velocity and the first-principles calculations. The other transverse mode is an interlayer shear acoustic mode whose amplitude is strongly enhanced in the antiferromagnetic phase, exhibiting eight times stronger amplitude than the longitudinal acoustic mode below TN. The atomically resolved characterization of acoustic phonon dynamics that couple with magnetic ordering opens opportunities for harnessing unique magnetoelastic coupling in vdW magnets on ultrafast timescales.

coherent acoustic phonons↗
DOE OSTI2025

Femtosecond temperature measurements of laser-shocked copper deduced from the intensity of the x-ray thermal diffuse scattering

We present 50-fs, single-shot measurements of the x-ray thermal diffuse scattering (TDS) from copper foils that have been shocked via nanosecond laser ablation up to pressures above ∼135 GPa. We hence deduce the x-ray Debye–Waller factor, providing a temperature measurement. The targets were laser-shocked with the DiPOLE 100-X laser at the High Energy Density endstation of the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser. Single x-ray pulses, with a photon energy of 18 keV, were scattered from the samples and recorded on Varex detectors. Despite the targets being highly textured (as evinced by large variations in the elastic scattering) and with such texture changing upon compression, the absolute intensity of the azimuthally averaged inelastic TDS between the Bragg peaks is largely insensitive to these changes, and allowing for both Compton scattering and the low-level scattering from a sacrificial ablator layer provides a reliable measurement of $T/Θ^2_D$, where Θ D is the Debye temperature. We compare our results with the predictions of the SESAME 3336 and LEOS 290 equations of state for copper and find good agreement within experimental errors. We, thus, demonstrate that single-shot temperature measurements of dynamically compressed materials can be made via thermal diffuse scattering of XFEL radiation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Controlling 4 f antiferromagnetic dynamics via itinerant electronic susceptibility

Optical manipulation of magnetism holds promise for future ultrafast spintronics, especially with lanthanides and their huge, localized 4 f magnetic moments. These moments interact indirectly by spin polarizing the conduction electrons (the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida exchange interaction), influenced by interatomic orbital overlap, and the conduction electron's susceptibility around the Fermi level. Here, we study this influence in a series of 4 f antiferromagnets, Gd T 2 Si 2 ( T = Co, Rh, Ir), using ultrafast resonant x-ray diffraction. We observe a twofold increase in the ultrafast intersublattice angular momentum transfer rate between the materials, originating from modifications in the conduction electron susceptibility, as confirmed by first-principles calculations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Laser-driven ultrafast transmission electron microscopy

Recent advances in lasers and electron optics technology have allowed transmission electron microscopes to achieve high spatial and temporal resolution, making them capable of tracking atoms, charges and spin motions down to the attosecond and nanometre scales. This Primer discusses the most common and practical experimental implementation of time-resolved transmission electron microscopy and the stroboscopic mode for evaluating ultrafast reversible dynamics. An in-depth discussion of photo-induced near-field electron microscopy, a technique unique to laser-assisted electron microscopy, is also provided, covering its prospective applications in the study of coherent phenomena in quantum materials. The experimental strategies and limitations in investigating the structural dynamics of materials and nanostructures by imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy are also described in detail, with a direct comparison with more conventional and established techniques. Here, we provide key information for new researchers who intend to use ultrafast transmission electron microscopy to address new challenges in specific materials science, condensed matter and nanophotonics.

Transmission electron microscopy↗
DOE OSTI2024

Transient energy dissipation at the Fermi velocity in a magnetocaloric metal

Realizing fast energy dissipation in crystalline materials over macroscopic length scales is critical for energy-efficient devices and applications toward a carbon-neutral society but is usually dominated by electron-lattice interactions that cap the energy dissipation at the phonon velocity. Going beyond this velocity has been the focus of many studies, and the physical limit is the Fermi velocity where the energy is predominantly carried away by electrons throughout the materials. However, whether and how the Fermi velocity can be reached over macroscopic distances experimentally remain largely elusive. Here we show ultrafast energy dissipation at the Fermi velocity in the magnetocaloric metal LaFe 10.6 Co 1.0 Si 1.4 . Using time-resolved powder x-ray diffraction, we observe negative thermal expansion of the lattice throughout the micron-sized crystals in less than 600 fs with an incident optical fluence higher than 8 J cm -2 . The ultrafast timescale is in sharp contrast to the normal energy dissipation and shows the existence of a macroscopic momentum-relaxing electron mean free path immediately after the optical excitation. In conclusion, our findings open a different regime in energy dissipation and demonstrate the possibility of manipulating macroscopic material properties by strong optical pulses.

Chen, Yanna↗