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Anna Michalik
Ph.D. Candidate
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Ultrafast electron diffraction - theory
Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) is a recent experimental technique for studying chemical and physics processes on the picosecond timescale. Essentially, it is a way of making atomic picosecond movies! Examples of UED experiments include directly determining the transient structures during chemical reactions, and observing laser-induced melting of thin films such as Aluminum.
My research interest is in the theoretical understanding of UED. The experiment can be broken down into 3 stages. The first is the photoemission of an electron bunch via a fs laser pulse. The properties of the electrons coming off the surface and how to best optimize this process for UED experiments requires investigation. The second is the propagation of the electron bunch. How the electron bunch evolves determines the time-scales and the structures that can be observed. The final stage is the scattering of the electron pulse. A picture that incorporates the properties of the electron bunch in the observed scattered signal is key to understanding and optimizing the system.
Publications
Analytic model of electron pulse propagation in ultrafast electron diffraction experiments
A. M. Michalik and J. E. Sipe
Journal of Applied Physics 99, 054908, (2006)
CV
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