Photoelectron techniques comprise experimental methods that detect and analyze electrons emitted from atoms, molecules, solids, or surfaces upon irradiation with photons, typically in the ultraviolet (UPS) or X-ray (XPS) regimes. By measuring photoelectron kinetic energies and angular distributions, these techniques provide quantitative information on binding energies, chemical states, valence electronic structure, and band dispersion. Implementations include angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) for momentum-resolved band mapping, time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy for ultrafast dynamics, and high-resolution XPS for core-level chemical shifts. These techniques are widely applied in surface science, catalysis, condensed matter physics, and materials characterization to probe electronic structure with elemental and, in some cases, orbital specificity.
One of the most famous and intriguing results of quantum mechanics is the finding that fundamental particles, such as electrons, cannot be pinned down to one single location. Instead, a particle is described by its "wavefunction," ...
Optics & Photonics
Aug 4, 2026
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Researchers have captured how a molecule redistributes energy after absorbing light, differentiating the roles of individual atoms in the process. They used X-ray flashes from the European XFEL to show that different atoms ...
General Physics
Jul 13, 2026
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183
Europe's first and only TES spectrometer at a synchrotron source is now in operation at BESSY II, developed within a collaboration between the HZB, the MPI-CEC (Mühlheim-an-der-Ruhr, Germany) and the NIST (Boulder, Colorado, ...
Optics & Photonics
Jun 17, 2026
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Nonlinear interactions between light and matter are at the heart of some of the most powerful tools in modern optics, but pushing these processes to their limits has long been hampered by a fundamental constraint: the stronger ...
When we think about highly sensitive medical testing, we often imagine a hospital laboratory filled with large instruments, trained technicians, and carefully controlled conditions. This is especially true for optical biosensing, ...
To capture a crisp image of a hummingbird in flight, which can flap its wings up to 200 times per second, a photographer needs a camera with an extremely fast shutter speed. But what if your target is smaller than a single ...
Nanophysics
May 4, 2026
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187
When laser flashes hit matter, electrons are knocked off their orbits around the atomic nuclei. This can generate extremely hot plasmas composed of charged particles—ions and electrons. Researchers at HZDR have now observed ...
Optics & Photonics
Apr 14, 2026
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Quantum mechanics is extremely successful at describing the behavior of matter at the atomic level. This success forces one to accept that certain aspects of physical reality go far beyond our intuition. Among these, none ...
Quantum Physics
Apr 2, 2026
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Electrons are tiny and constantly in motion. How they behave in a crystal lattice determines key material properties: electrical conductivity, magnetism, or novel quantum effects. Anyone aiming to develop the information ...
Condensed Matter
Mar 15, 2026
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229
When molecules fall apart, their electric charge doesn't stay put—it rearranges as bonds stretch and break. An international team of scientists has now tracked these ultrafast changes in the small molecule fluoromethane (CH₃F). ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 10, 2026
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