Development of compact coherent EUV source based on laser Compton scattering

High-power extreme ultra-violet (EUV) sources are required for next generation semiconductor lithography. We start to develop a compact EUV source in the spectral range 13–14 nm, which is based on a laser Compton scattering between a 7 MeV micro-bucnhed electron beam and a high-intensity CO₂ laser pulse. The electron beam extracted from a DC photocathode gun is micro-bunched using a laser modulation techinque with the Compton wavelength at a harmonic of the seeding laser before the main laser Compton scattering for EUV generation. A considerating scheme for the compact EUV source based on the laser Compton scattering with micro-bunched electron beam and the analytical study of micro-bunch generation are described in this paper.     

Spin-dependent electron momentum densities in Co2FeGa studied by Compton scattering

The spin density of Heusler alloy Co₂FeGa, has been studied using the Compton scattering technique with 274 keV circularly polarized synchrotron radiation in the high energy inelastic scattering beamline (BL08W), at SPring-8, Japan. The magnetic Compton profiles along the two principal directions [1 1 0] and [1 1 1] were measured. The spin profiles shows a good agreement with our FLAPW-GGA results, where the theoretical results were based on the ferromagnetic ground state. The 3d spin moment at the Co and the Fe site was found to be in excellent agreement with the earlier reported neutron diffraction measurements.     

The super-ACO free electron laser source in the UV and its applications

Free electron lasers (FELs) are new sources of tuneable coherent radiation, based on the interaction of a relativistic electron beam with a permanent magnetic field. The Super-ACO FEL operates in the UV (down to 300 nm) at 800 MeV, the nominal energy of the electron beam, with a high repetition rate (8 MHz). It presents a high average extracted power (up to 300 mW), short pulses (15–50 ps FWHM) and small bandwidth (3×10⁻² nm). Taking advantage of these characteristics, we demonstrated for the first time the possibility of using a storage ring FEL as a coherent source of radiation for scientific applications. In particular, the tuneable Super-ACO FEL source, combined with synchrotron radiation covering the X-ray to infra-red range, is a unique tool for the time-dependent studies of excited states. Such analysis benefits from the natural synchronisation of both sources at a high repetition rate, their mutual tunability, high intensity and coherence. Several experimental set-ups are now under operation.     

FT-IR spectroscopic study on the variations of molecular structures of some carboxyl acids induced by free electron laser

Free electron laser has been developed as tunable lasers over a wide range of wavelengths. Devices irradiating in the region of 6-16 microm (1666-625 cm-1) are operable in the Beijing free electron lasers facilities (BFEL). For understanding the interactions between FEL and biological tissues, in this study wavelength-selective infrared-induced structure changes of substances under irradiation by FEL were measured using FT-IR spectroscopy. The carboxyl acids and carboxylates samples investigated include salicylic acid, sulfosalicylic acid, cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate. The changes of the FT-IR spectra of the molecules prove that the spectral variations of the samples induced by FEL are closely related to their hydrogen bond networks.     

康普顿散射法测定溶液浓度

基于光子与物质相互作用的康普顿散射效应,利用康普顿散射光子数与散射体的电子密度成正比的原理,提出了用康普顿散射测定溶液浓度的方法,描述了相应的试验装置和测定溶液浓度的步骤,并用此方法测定了氢氧化钠和氯化钾溶液的浓度,分析了引起误差的原因。试验结果表明,用所提出的方法测定溶液的浓度是可行的。     

15N isotope-selective infrared multiphoton dissociation of nitromethane by a free electron laser

Successful experiments on the isotope-selective infrared multiphoton dissociation (IR MPD) of nitromethane molecules in the region of stretching vibrations of the NO₂ group have been performed for the first time under IR free electron laser (FEL) irradiation in a mixture with the natural content of the¹⁵N isotope of 0.4%. The content of the¹⁵N isotope in the products of NO dissociation varies within 0.1–1.6% as a function of the laser radiation frequency. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 739–742, April, 1998.     

Modeling of scattering on the residual gas in an electron diffraction experiment

The scattering on the residual gas in an electron diffraction chamber is modeled. A comparison with experimental data reveals that is this scattering that may make a major contribution to the extraneous signal inevitably present in the recorded diffraction pattern. Practical recommendations on the development of the electron diffraction apparatus design are given.     

Extraneous scattering and its discrimination in gas electron diffraction

The division algorithm for additive and multiplicative noise components of the electron scattering intensity is proposed in the work. The procedure presented provides a substantial improvement in experimental data processing in comparison with the traditional method used by Russian research groups. A comparison of the additive noise with the simulated residual gas scattering shows that it is this scattering that is largely responsible for the strange contribution to the measured diffraction pattern.     

New developments in theory of fast electron scattering in solids: Applications to microbeam analysis

The study of fast electron interaction with solids in the energy range from 100 eV to several tens of keV is prompted by quickly developing microbeam analysis techniques such as electron probe microanalysis, scanning electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and so on. It turned out that for random solids the electron transport problem might be solved on the basis of the generalized radiative field similarity principle. The latter states that the exact differential elastic cross section in the kinetic equation may be replaced by an approximate one provided the conditions of radiative field similarity are fulfilled. Application of the generalized similarity principle to electron scattering in solids has revealed many interesting features of electron transport. Easy to use and effective formulae have been obtained for the angular and energy distribution of electrons leaving a target, total yields of characteristic photons and slow electrons escaping from a sample bombarded by fast primaries, escape probability of Auger electrons as a function of depth etc. The analytical results have been compared with Monte Carlo calculations and experiments in a broad range of electron energies and scattering properties of solids and good agreement has been observed.     

Morphology,surface roughness,electron inelastic and quasielastic scattering in elastic peak electron spectroscopy of polymers

In elastic peak electron spectroscopy (EPES), the nearest vicinity of elastic peak in the low kinetic energy region reflects electron inelastic and quasielastic processes. Incident electrons produce surface excitations, inducing surface plasmons, with the corresponding loss peaks separated by 1–20 eV energy from the elastic peak. In this work, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and helium pycnometry are applied for determining surface atomic composition and bulk density, whereas atomic force microscopy (AFM) is applied for determining surface morphology and roughness. The component due to electron recoil on hydrogen atoms can be observed in EPES spectra for selected primary electron energies. Simulations of EPES predict a larger contribution of the hydrogen component than observed experimentally, where hydrogen deficiency is observed. Elastic peak intensity is influenced more strongly by surface morphology (roughness and porosity) than by surface excitations and quasielastic scattering of electrons by hydrogen atoms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of proteins separated by displacement chromatography using low angle laser light scattering photometry

Summary -Lactoglobulin A and B (-LACT) were separated by displacement chromatography (DSC) on an ionexchange column using dextran sulfate as the displacer. A LALLS photometer and a UV detector, in series, were used to determine the molecular weight (MW) of the proteins, on-line. The results indicate that both, -LACT A and B, were present as dimers in the buffer used for the mobile phase. The MWs of the proteins were about 6–8% higher than the theoretical MW of a dimer (37,000). Additional control studies have shown the presence of a high molecular weight species in both the proteins, which could possibly be an aggregate. This species was observed in the LALLS signal but was nearly absent in the UV signal. Our work has demonstrated the feasibility of interfacing LALLS with displacement chromatography for detecting impurities or aggregates which may be difficult to detect by conventional detectors used for chromatography.     

Analysis of Fe-Si layered structures by reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy and inelastic scattering cross-section

This paper reports on our study of the formation of an interface of layered structures in the Fe-Si system by reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS). Quantitative element analysis was performed using the product of the mean length of the inelastic free path by the inelastic scattering cross-section of electrons. It is shown that the Fe-Si interface is quite uniform.     

利用康普顿散射分析碳化硅陶瓷在高温下使用氧化后组成的变化

用波长色散X射线荧光光谱仪,通过测量散射体(样品)对铑的康普顿散射线(RhKα-C)强度的变化,实现了碳化硅陶瓷在高温下使用时氧化情况的监控。用一套8只碳化硅校准样品建立了康普顿散射强度与样品平均原子序数之间关系的数学模型。利用此模型计算了碳化硅氧化后组成含量的变化。结果表明:用此方法测得的样品中碳、硅及氧的相对含量与X射线光电子能谱法所测结果相符,两者间的相对偏差均小于1%。据此认为,此方法所测得的数据是可以接受的。     

Femtosecond laser ablation: Visualization of the aerosol formation process by light scattering and shadowgraphic imaging

The shockwave propagation and aerosol formation during femtosecond laser ablation (fs-LA) of dielectric materials (Li₂B₄O₇, Y:ZrO₂) in ambient air were monitored using shadowgraphy and light scattering. Three independent shockwave fronts were observed originating from (i) the instantaneous compression of ambient gas during the initial stage of fs-LA, (ii) a secondary compression caused by material ejection, and (iii) an air breakdown well above the target surface. In addition, particle size distributions were found to be multimodal implying the co-existence of condensational growth and supplementary particle production pathways such as phase explosion or critical point phase separation (CPPS). As a consequence, fs-LA of Li₂B₄O₇ resulted in the formation of primary aggregates reaching diameters of > 10 μm. In contrast, aggregates formed during fs-LA of Y:ZrO₂ covered a size range < 1 μm. Our data, furthermore, indicate the existence of a breakdown channel in the ambient atmosphere being capable to carry plasmatic, i.e. non-condensed matter beyond the primary shockwave barrier which may occasionally causes a spatial separation of material released. Assuming the Taylor-Sedov model of explosion to be valid the over-all energy dissipated in acoustic transients was found to exceed values of 50%.     

Quantumness of correlations and Maxwell's demon in molecular excitations created by neutron scattering

Nonclassical correlations known as entanglement, quantum discord, quantum deficit, measurement‐induced disturbance, quantum Maxwell's demon, etc., may provide novel insights into quantum‐information processing, quantum‐thermodynamics processes, open‐system dynamics, quantum molecular dynamics, and general quantum chemistry. We study a new effect of quantumness of correlations accompanying collision of two distinguishable quantum systems A and B, the latter being part of a larger (interacting) system B + D. In contrast to the common assumption of a classical environment or “demon” D, the quantum case exhibits striking new qualitative features. Here, in the context of incoherent inelastic neutron scattering from H‐atoms which create molecular excitations (vibration, rotation, translation), we report theoretical and experimental evidence of a new phenomenon: a considerably reduced effective mass of H, or equivalently, an anomalous momentum‐transfer deficit in the neutron‐H collision. These findings contradict conventional theoretical expectations even qualitatively, but find a straightforward interpretation in the new theoretical frame under consideration. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chemical bonding effect in electron scattering by gaseous molecules

The experimental intensity of 30 keV electron small angle scattering by a gaseous molecule is much different from the calculation using usual independent atom model. This is due to the rearrangement of electron distribution in a molecule by the formation of chemical bonds, and is called chemical bonding effect (CBE). The molecules studied are mainly hydrocarbons such as methane, acetylene, ethane, etc. and some non-hydrocarbons. The measurement was carried out on both elastic and total scattering and the effect was found for not only elastic but also inelastic scattering. The effect is relatively large for hydrogen rich molecules as H₂O, NH₃ and hydrocarbons, but is essentially related to the number of atoms contained in molecules. The origin of CBE will attribute mainly to the concentration of inner atomic electrons resulting from chemical bonding.     

Elastic electron scattering by argon in the vicinity of the high-energy critical minimum

Differential cross sections (DCSs) for elastic electron scattering by argon in the vicinity of the high-energy critical minimum are presented. DCSs were measured as a function of both incident electron energy (90 –150 eV) and scattering angle (40°–126°). The absolute calibration was achieved via normalization to a single point. The positions of high angle DCS minimum versus incident electron energy were obtained. The experimentally obtained results are compared to the relativistic ab initio calculations based on the Dirac–Hartree–Fock method.     

Local damage of HT-materials by laser irradiation in the SEM

By using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser the high temperature materials zirconium oxide, fine grain graphite and silicon nitride were rapidly irradiated (heating thermal shock) and their damage behavior was investigated. The laser beam parameters at sample surface were detected by a laser beam analyzing system and correlated with the local damage mechanisms of the materials as erosion, crack formation and solid-solid phase transformation. For the investigations image analysis, localized x-ray analysis, and the ion beam slope cutting technique were applied. The temperature field in the material was simulated by using temperature dependent material parameters for different laser beam parameters. The results illustrate both the strong influence of the temporal and spatial laser energy profile and the materials properties to the material damage.Dedicated to Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h.c. Hubertus Nickel on the occasion of his 65th birthday