Ultrafast dynamics of surface chemical bond-breaking studied by optical and x-ray lasers

by Henrik Öström (SU Fysikum)

Monday 22 Apr 2013, 10:15 → 11:00 Europe/Stockholm

FA31

Reactions at surfaces form the basis for industrially important heterogeneous catalysis, but the microscopic processes governing these reactions are difficult to study experimentally. The combination of optical and x-ray laser experiments offer unique possibilities to gain insights in ultrafast dynamical processes at surfaces. I will present how we have studied a simple surface chemical reaction the breaking of a surface chemical bond in the CO/Ru(0001) system (Science 339, 1302 (2013); Phys. Rev. Lett, in press). We have determined both the desorption mechanisms and electronic structure dynamics prior to desorption. The x-ray experiments allow us to follow different dynamical processes as they occur on the surface and how the molecules enter a previously never observed precursor state. The complementary optical laser experiments allow us to correlate these dynamical processes with the desorption reaction.