A beamline for vacuum ultraviolet radiation

The VUV beamline is operated by the VUV Spectroscopy Group in the Laboratory of Femtochemistry and Synchrotron Radiation. The in-house research focuses on chemical reaction dynamics in harsh environments such as flames and reactors as well as in the cationic state. Photoelectron photoion coincidence techniques offer universal, selective, sensitive and multiplexed chemical analysis tools that allows us to detect elusive and short-lived species isomer-selectively. Coupled to a wide array of effusive and molecular beam sources, we can study stable and weakly bound species along with radicals and carbenes, which govern e.g. ignition. In addition to insights into chemical dynamics, the energetics and the thermochemistry of the sample are also revealed.

Our versatile endstations offer external users the possibility to study gas-phase dynamics, too.

Apart from combustion processes, the catalytically relevant reactivity and size effects in metal cluster ions are also studied. On the side branch of the beamline, we operate a cluster source to perform cluster ion mass-selected photoelectron spectroscopy measurements.

The beamline is located at pillars 40-41 at the X04DB bending magnet of the SLS and is optimized for photon energies between 5 and 30 eV. Higher energy light is also available.

Research fields

Combustion chemistry

Pyrolysis, photolysis and flames as novel sources to generate reactive molecules as well to elucidate chemical reaction dynamics and kinetics.

Spectroscopy and dynamics

High resolution threshold photoelectron spectroscopy to produce internal energy selected ions and probe photochemical processes energy. Determination of unimolecular reaction energies, binding energies, enthalpies of Formation, and other thermochemical properties.