Extreme ultraviolet transient gratings: A tool for nanoscale photoacoustics

TL;DR

This paper discusses the use of extreme ultraviolet transient gratings to probe nanoscale lattice dynamics and thermoelastic properties of materials, offering insights into wavevector-dependent phenomena at unprecedented spatial scales.

Contribution

It demonstrates the capabilities of EUV transient grating technique for studying nanoscale lattice dynamics and thermoelastic properties, expanding the accessible wavevector range beyond previous optical methods.

Findings

Accessed wavevector range corresponding to 10s of nm length-scale

Probed thermoelastic properties in bulk and surface materials

Discussed future developments and practical considerations

Abstract

Collective lattice dynamics determine essential aspects of condensed matter, such as elastic and thermal properties. These exhibit strong dependence on the length-scale, reflecting the marked wavevector dependence of lattice excitations. The extreme ultraviolet transient grating (EUV TG) approach has demonstrated the potential of accessing a wavevector range corresponding to the 10s of nm length-scale, representing a spatial scale of the highest relevance for fundamental physics and forefront technology, previously inaccessible by optical TG and other inelastic scattering methods. In this manuscript we report on the capabilities of this technique in the context of probing thermoelastic properties of matter, both in the bulk and at the surface, as well as discussing future developments and practical considerations.