Ultrafast structural dynamics with table-top femtosecond electron diffraction setups

Abstract

This review written in Japanese is directed to graduate students willing to be part of the emerging field of ultrafast structural dynamics. It provides them with all the basic assumptions and experimental tricks of femtosecond optical spectroscopy and diffraction techniques. The progress in the development of femtosecond X-ray and electron probes during the last twenty years has been tremendous, which provides us with the temporal and spatial resolutions required to observe atoms in motion. Recently, these direct observation of atomic motion with femtosecond X-ray and electron diffraction techniques has gain much attention in the fields of material physics, chemistry or even biology. One good example involves the developments of X-ray free electron laser (XFEL). The table-top femtosecond electron diffraction setups, on the other hand, have comparable brightness and temporal resoution as the facility-top XFELs with proper calibation. This review is mainly focused on generation of ultrashort electron pulses, characterization of the pulses and application for the femtosecond electron diffraction measurements. We now have in hand the ultrafast structural 'cameras' ready to be applied for the study of an endless list of dynamical phenomena at the atomic level of inspection.