[en] The influence of near bandgap laser irradiation on the structure of the As₅₀Se₅₀ thin film has been investigated by synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy. The As 3d and Se 3d photoemission peaks of the irradiated sample show significant differences in shapes and positions in comparison with those obtained for non-irradiated amorphous film. The experimental data processing and quantifications are performed analyzing As 3d and Se 3d core-level components obtained by curve fitting. The relative contribution of the As and Se atoms in different chemical states to the whole As 3d and Se 3d signal, its structural origins as well as their relation to the As₅₀Se₅₀ nanolayers structure before and after laser irradiation is analyzed and discussed in detail. - Highlights: ► Stoichiometry changes of As₅₀Se₅₀ nanolayers under air and/or light exposure ► Effect of the ambient condition on the structure of As₅₀Se₅₀ surface nanolayers ► Transformation of As₅₀Se₅₀ surface nanolayers under near bandgap illumination ► Surface sensitive synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy experiments

[en] Advances in laser and Synchrotron Radiation instrumentation are continuously boosting fundamental research on the electronic structure of matter. At Elettra the collaboration between several groups active in the field of atomic, molecular and cluster physics and the Instrumentation and Detector Laboratory has resulted in an experimental set-up that successfully tackles the challenges posed by the investigation of the electronic structure of isolated species in the gas phase. The use of Synchrotron Radiation (SR) and Free Electron Laser (FEL) light, allows to cover a wide spectrum of targets from energetic to dynamics. We developed a Velocity Map Imaging (VMI) spectrometer that allows to perform as well SR as FEL experiments, just by changing part of the detection system. In SR experiments, at the Gasphase beamline of Elettra, a cross delay line detector is used, coupled to a 4-channel time-to-digital converter that reconstructs the position of the electrons. Simultaneously, a Time-of-Flight (TOF) mass spectrometer is used to acquire photoion spectra. Such a system allows PhotoElectron-PhotoIon-Coincidence (PEPICO) spectroscopy of atoms, molecules and clusters. In FEL experiments (notably differing from SR experiments in the much higher rate of events produced and detected, which forces one to forfeit coincidence detection), at the Low Density Matter (LDM) beamline of FERMI, a Micro Channel Plate (MCP) a phosphor screen and a CCD camera are used instead, capable of shot-by-shot collection of practically all events, albeit without time resolution.

[en] The recent availability of intense and ultrashort extreme ultraviolet sources opens up the possibility of investigating ultrafast electronic relaxation processes in matter in an unprecedented regime. In this work we report on the observation of two-photon excitation of interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) in neon dimers using the tunable intense pulses delivered by the free electron laser FERMI. The unique characteristics of FERMI (narrow bandwidth, spectral stability, and tunability) allow one to resonantly excite specific ionization pathways and to observe a clear signature of the ICD mechanism in the ratio of the ion yield created by Coulomb explosion. The present experimental results are explained by ab initio electronic structure and nuclear dynamics calculations. (paper)

[en] The design and evaluation of a velocity map imaging spectrometer specifically optimised for experiments at the FERMI free electron laser source are described. Optimisation of the set-up for the detection of high energy electrons (experimentally calibrated up to 45 eV), reduction of scattered light and characterisation of the pulsed gas source are outlined. The instrument has been tested using synchrotron light at the GasPhase beamline at Elettra, the Italian synchrotron source, and the results are presented.

[en] Ionization dynamics of resonantly excited helium nanodroplets have been studied by intense XUV light. By doping the nanodroplets with atoms that either attach to the surface or submerge into the center of the droplet, one can study the dynamics of excitation and ionization through the droplet. When resonantly exciting the droplet, we observe a strong ionization enhancement for atoms attached to the surface. On the other hand, atoms embedded inside the nanodroplet are less efficiently ionized. We attribute this effect to an ultrafast energy transfer to the surface of the droplet and subsequent Penning ionization of the surface-bound dopant. (paper)