Abstract

Laser and x-ray spectroscopic methods are both frequently used to elucidate structure and bonding in matter. Ultrafast laser sources with pulse durations down to a few femtoseconds allow in addition for following the realtime dynamics of atoms and molecules with pump-probe spectroscopy where a pump pulse excites the system and a probe pulse retrieves its evolution. The recent advances in the generation of x-ray pulses with picosecond to femtosecond pulse durations enables one to extend the spectroscopic investigations of ultrafast atomic and molecular dynamics to the x-ray wavelength range.

© 2009 IEEE