X-ray laser-induced electron dynamics observed by femtosecond diffraction from nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene.
X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) deliver x-ray pulses with a coherent flux that is approximately eight orders of magnitude greater than that available from a modern third-generation synchrotron source. The power density of an XFEL pulse may be so high that it can modify the electronic properties of a sample on a femtosecond time scale. Exploration of the interaction of intense coherent x-ray pulses and matter is both of intrinsic scientific interest and of critical importance to the interpretation of experiments that probe the structures of materials using high-brightness femtosecond XFEL pulses. We report observations of the diffraction of extremely intense 32-fs nanofocused x-ray pulses by a powder sample of crystalline C60. We find that the diffraction pattern at the highest available incident power significantly differs from the one obtained using either third-generation synchrotron sources or XFEL sources operating at low output power and does not correspond to the diffraction pattern expected from any known phase of crystalline C60. We interpret these data as evidence of a long-range, coherent dynamic electronic distortion that is driven by the interaction of the periodic array of C60 molecular targets with intense x-ray pulses of femtosecond duration.
Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia.
Brian
B
Abbey
ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Ruben A
RA
Dilanian
Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia.
Connie
C
Darmanin
ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Rebecca A
RA
Ryan
ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Corey T
CT
Putkunz
ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Andrew V
AV
Martin
Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
David
D
Wood
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.
Victor
V
Streltsov
Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
Michael W M
MW
Jones
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria 3122, Australia.
Naylyn
N
Gaffney
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK.
Felix
F
Hofmann
Brookhaven National Laboratory, PO Box 5000, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA.
Garth J
GJ
Williams
Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
Sébastien
S
Boutet
BioXFEL Science and Technology Center, 700 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, NY 1420, USA.
Marc
M
Messerschmidt
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3 (Box 596), SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden.
M Marvin
MM
Seibert
ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Sophie
S
Williams
Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia.
Evan
E
Curwood
Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia.
Eugeniu
E
Balaur
Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia.
Andrew G
AG
Peele
Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia.
Keith A
KA
Nugent
ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Harry M
HM
Quiney
D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004583:Electrons; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D014965:X-Rays
D037741:Fullerenes
Femtosecond electron dynamics; coherent radiation damage; femtosecond nanocrystallography; long-range electronic correlations; x-ray free electron lasers