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  • Following excited-state che...
    Mayer, D; Lever, F; Picconi, D; Metje, J; Alisauskas, S; Calegari, F; Düsterer, S; Ehlert, C; Feifel, R; Niebuhr, M; Manschwetus, B; Kuhlmann, M; Mazza, T; Robinson, M S; Squibb, R J; Trabattoni, A; Wallner, M; Saalfrank, P; Wolf, T J A; Gühr, M

    Nature communications, 01/2022, Letnik: 13, Številka: 1
    Journal Article

    The conversion of photon energy into other energetic forms in molecules is accompanied by charge moving on ultrafast timescales. We directly observe the charge motion at a specific site in an electronically excited molecule using time-resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (TR-XPS). We extend the concept of static chemical shift from conventional XPS by the excited-state chemical shift (ESCS), which is connected to the charge in the framework of a potential model. This allows us to invert TR-XPS spectra to the dynamic charge at a specific atom. We demonstrate the power of TR-XPS by using sulphur 2p-core-electron-emission probing to study the UV-excited dynamics of 2-thiouracil. The method allows us to discover that a major part of the population relaxes to the molecular ground state within 220-250 fs. In addition, a 250-fs oscillation, visible in the kinetic energy of the TR-XPS, reveals a coherent exchange of population among electronic states.