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@PHDTHESIS{Schunck:628891,
author = {Schunck, Jan},
othercontributors = {Beye, Martin and Schroer, Christian},
title = {{M}ultidimensional and {M}ultimodal {S}oft {X}-ray
{M}ethods for {Q}uantum {M}aterials {R}esearch},
school = {Universität Hamburg},
type = {Dissertation},
address = {Hamburg},
publisher = {Verlag Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY},
reportid = {PUBDB-2025-01721, DESY-THESIS-2025-009},
series = {DESY-THESIS},
pages = {171},
year = {2025},
note = {Dissertation, Universität Hamburg, 2025},
abstract = {Quantum materials are governed by a complex interplay of
spin, orbit, charge and lattice degrees of freedom,
resulting in emergent phenomena like high-temperature
superconductivity, charge and orbital ordering and
insulator-to-metal transitions (IMTs). Often, the
interaction of these subsystems results in an energy
landscape with multiple local minima favouring different
phases. In many cases, two or more distinct phases coexist
and the macroscopic property of the material is shaped by
the properties of the individual phases as well as their
interaction. To understand the complexity that shapes
quantum materials, their properties need to be studied in
multiple dimensions of space, energy and time.X-rays are
indispensable tools for the study of quantum materials as
they enable probing on atomic length scales as well as
excitation of electrons bound in specific core levels.
Synchrotron radiation sources provide the coherence,
spectral brightness, flexible focusing capabilities and
tunability of the photon energy to adapt the X-ray beam
properties to the requirements of a specific measurement
scheme and sample. The photon energy can be tuned to
electronic resonances of one element to disentangle its role
for macroscopic functionality. Free-electron lasers (FELs)
extend this capability in the time domain down to pico- and
femtoseconds, the time scales of atomic and electronic
motion.This thesis presents the development of
multidimensional and multimodal soft X-ray methods that can
be tailored to address specific scientific challenges posed
by quantum materials. Multidimensional studies of incident
and emitted photon energies and spatial and temporal
dependencies as well as the dependence on fluence of a pump
laser that drives e.g. an IMT are discussed. Multimodal
studies allow observing quantum materials from the point of
view of different experimental techniques, like X-ray
imaging, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray emission
spectroscopy, (resonant) X-ray diffraction, resonant
inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) and angle-resolved
photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES).First, the RIXS imaging
method, which utilizes a transmission Fresnel zone plate to
combine soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy with microscopy
with a resolution of 1.8 µm, is presented. This method is
applied in a study of the IMT of VO$_2$ microsquares
measuring 30 µm $\times$ 30 µm. Imaging X-ray absorption
spectroscopy (XAS) shows that the phase transition
temperature at the edges of the squares is lower in
comparison to the centres by 1.2 K. This implies that bulk
properties of quantum materials may change upon structuring
on the microscale.Second, this method is transferred to
imaging X-ray diffraction (XRD) to investigate the doped
titanate Y$_{1-x}$Ca$_{x}$TiO$_3$ with $x=0.37$, revealing
insulating and metallic phases which coexist in curved,
striped domains across unusually large temperature regions.
This observation is related to a varying chemical
inhomogeneity of about $x\pm{0.01}$, likely arising during
crystal growth.Next, excitation of the electronic subsystem
in quantum materials with femtosecond infra-red laser pulses
also drives insulator-to-metal transitions. For the study of
ultrafast dynamics of magnetite (Fe$_3$O$_4$) at an FEL,
zone plates can also be used for time-to-space mapping,
recording a delay range of several picoseconds as well as an
extended fluence range simultaneously. This time-to-space
mapping setup combines temporal, spatial and pump fluence
information and may be developed to record single-shot
experiments in the future.Lastly, a method, termed
photoelectron spectrometry for the analysis of X-rays (PAX),
which converts RIXS photons to photoelectrons via the
photoelectric effect, is developed towards high energy
resolution to investigate a sample from the family of
high-temperature superconducting cuprates. PAX enables
simultaneous recording of a range of photon-sample momentum
transfer, corresponding to a significant part of the first
Brillouin zone in the investigated system. In comparison to
grating-based RIXS spectrometers, a PAX instrument is much
more compact, saving money and experimental space. The
success of the PAX method resulted in the development of a
dedicated ultra-high vacuum chamber, soon to be
commissioned, which promises a significant improvement in
photon count rate and energy resolution, as well as the
combination with ARPES.In summary, this thesis presents
experimental developments that enable the study of quantum
materials through the utilisation of diverse soft X-ray
methods in conjunction with a spatial resolution on the
micrometer level, temporal resolution on the level of 100 fs
and energy resolution on the level of 100 meV. Furthermore,
it outlines concepts to improve this energy and spatial
resolution by approximately one order of magnitude. The
advancement of the experimental tools described in this
thesis will facilitate a deeper comprehension of the
complexity of quantum materials and enable us as a society
to harness phenomena occurring in quantum materials.},
cin = {FS-FLASH},
cid = {I:(DE-H253)FS-FLASH-20140814},
pnm = {632 - Materials – Quantum, Complex and Functional
Materials (POF4-632) / 6G2 - FLASH (DESY) (POF4-6G2) / 6G3 -
PETRA III (DESY) (POF4-6G3)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-632 / G:(DE-HGF)POF4-6G2 /
G:(DE-HGF)POF4-6G3},
experiment = {EXP:(DE-H253)F-BL2-20150101 / EXP:(DE-H253)P-P04-20150101 /
EXP:(DE-H253)Nanolab-02-20150101},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)3 / PUB:(DE-HGF)11},
doi = {10.3204/PUBDB-2025-01721},
url = {https://bib-pubdb1.desy.de/record/628891},
}