1 SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory , 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 , USA.
2 Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie , 12489 Berlin , Germany.
Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2019 May 20;377(2145):20180384. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2018.0384.
Over more than a century, X-rays have transformed our understanding of the fundamental structure of matter and have been an indispensable tool for chemistry, physics, biology, materials science and related fields. Recent advances in ultrafast X-ray sources operating in the femtosecond to attosecond regimes have opened an important new frontier in X-ray science. These advances now enable: (i) sensitive probing of structural dynamics in matter on the fundamental timescales of atomic motion, (ii) element-specific probing of electronic structure and charge dynamics on fundamental timescales of electronic motion, and (iii) powerful new approaches for unravelling the coupling between electronic and atomic structural dynamics that underpin the properties and function of matter. Most notable is the recent realization of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) with numerous new XFEL facilities in operation or under development worldwide. Advances in XFELs are complemented by advances in synchrotron-based and table-top laser-plasma X-ray sources now operating in the femtosecond regime, and laser-based high-order harmonic XUV sources operating in the attosecond regime. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measurement of ultrafast electronic and structural dynamics with X-rays'.
一个多世纪以来，X 射线已经改变了我们对物质基本结构的理解，并且已经成为化学、物理、生物、材料科学和相关领域不可或缺的工具。在飞秒到阿秒范围内运行的超快 X 射线源的最新进展为 X 射线科学开辟了一个重要的新前沿。这些进展现在能够：（i）在原子运动的基本时间尺度上灵敏地探测物质的结构动力学，（ii）在电子运动的基本时间尺度上对电子结构和电荷动力学进行元素特异性探测，以及（iii）用于解开电子和原子结构动力学之间的耦合的强大新方法，这种耦合是物质性质和功能的基础。最值得注意的是，最近实现了 X 射线自由电子激光器（XFEL），全球有许多新的 XFEL 设施正在运行或正在开发中。XFEL 的进展得到了基于同步加速器和台式激光等离子体 X 射线源的进展的补充，这些源现在在飞秒范围内运行，激光高次谐波 XUV 源在阿秒范围内运行。本文是主题为“用 X 射线测量超快电子和结构动力学”的特刊的一部分。
