Imaging density disturbances in water with a 41.3-attosecond time resolution

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 92; no. 23; pp. 237401.1 - 237401.4
• Main Authors: ABBAMONTE, P, FINKELSTEIN, K. D, COLLINS, M. D, GRUNER, S. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ridge, NY American Physical Society 11-06-2004
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; DENSITY; Elasticity; Electron states; Electronic structure of liquid metals and semiconductors and their alloys; Exact sciences and technology; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; NATIONAL SYNCHROTRON LIGHT SOURCE; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Physics; Scattering, Radiation; TIME RESOLUTION; TRANSIENTS; WATER; Water - chemistry; X-ray scattering; X-Rays; Water; Liquid state; X-ray scattering; Inelastic scattering; Aqueous solutions; Momentum; Chromophores; Electron density; Flexibility; Time resolved spectra; Photoexcitation
• ISSN: 0031-9007; 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.237401

We show that the momentum flexibility of inelastic x-ray scattering may be exploited to invert its loss function, allowing real time imaging of density disturbances in a medium. We show the disturbance arising from a point source in liquid water, with a resolution of 41.3 attoseconds (4.13 x 10(-17) s) and 1.27 A (1.27 x 10(-8) cm). This result is used to determine the structure of the electron cloud around a photoexcited chromophore in solution, as well as the wake generated in water by a 9 MeV gold ion. We draw an analogy with pump-probe techniques and suggest that energy-loss scattering may be applied more generally to the study of attosecond phenomena.