Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Källman, Erik.
Theoretical guide to the valence electronic structure information that can be extracted from hard X-ray scattering experiments.
Abstract The non-equilibrium dynamics of electrons and nuclei govern the function of photoactive materials. Disentangling these dynamics remains a critical goal for understanding photoactive materials. Here we investigate the photoinduced dynamics of the [Fe(bmip) 2 ] 2+ photosensitizer, where bmip = 2,6-bis(3-methyl-imidazole-1-ylidine)-pyridine, with simultaneous femtosecond-resolution Fe Kα and Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray solution scattering (XSS). This measurement shows temporal oscillations in the XES and XSS difference signals with the same 278 fs period oscillation. These oscillations originate from an Fe-ligand stretching vibrational wavepacket on a triplet metal-centered ( 3 MC) excited state surface. This 3 MC state is populated with a 110 fs time constant by 40% of the excited molecules while the rest relax to a 3 MLCT excited state. The sensitivity of the Kα XES to molecular structure results from a 0.7% average Fe-ligand bond length shift between the 1 s and 2p core-ionized states surfaces.
A combined experimental and theoretical approach reveals correlations of metal L-edge X-ray absorption energies to local charge and spin densities.
X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the L-edge of 3d transition metals is widely used for probing the valence electronic structure at the metal site via 2p–3d transitions. Assessing the information contained in L-edge absorption spectra requires systematic comparison of experiment and theory. We investigate the Cr L-edge absorption spectrum of high-spin chromium acetylacetonate Cr III (acac) 3 in solution. Using a transmission flatjet enables determining absolute absorption cross sections and spectra free from X-ray-induced sample damage. We address the challenges of measuring Cr L absorption edges spectrally close to the O K absorption edge of the solvent. We critically assess how experimental absorption cross sections can be used to extract information on the electronic structure of the studied system by comparing our results of this Cr III (3d 3 ) complex to our previous work on L-edge absorption cross sections of Mn III (acac) 3 (3d 4 ) and Mn II (acac) 2 (3d 5 ). Considering our experimental uncertainties, the most insightful experimental observable for this d 3 (Cr III )–d 4 (Mn III )–d 5 (Mn II ) series is the L-edge branching ratio, and we discuss it in comparison to semiempirical multiplet theory and ab initio restricted active space calculations. Finally, we further discuss and analyze trends in integrated absorption cross sections and correlate the spectral shapes with the local electronic structure at the metal sites.
Dose-dependent damage to a Mn iii complex in solution, induced by soft X-rays, is investigated with Mn L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy.