A new experimental scheme for nuclear γ-resonance time-domain interferometry

Abstract

Time-domain interferometry (TDI) based on nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation by Mössbauer nuclei is a promising technique to study slow dynamics at the interatomic length scale. In order to improve the efficiency of this technique, a new TDI scheme is developed involving the use of a nuclear absorber with a two-line energy spectrum combined with a single-line spectrum. Different from other TDI setups, the issue of external vibrations is much reduced since the two absorbers are at rest and no velocity transducer is used. This allows measuring beating patterns with satisfying statistical accuracy and contrast up to 350 ns. We report here the characterization of the experimental setup necessary for the implementation of this new scheme. The model required for the description of the beating pattern produced by a three-line spectrum system is also discussed in detail. Finally, we report some results for the dynamics of the prototypical glass-former ortho-terphenyl to demonstrate the possibilities offered by this new scheme.

A microscopic look at the Johari-Goldstein relaxation in a hydrogen-bonded glass-former

“…Figure 1 shows some examples of the measured TDI patterns as a function of time at different q ’s for a single T (a) and at different T ’s for a single q (b). These beating patterns are modulated by the sample dynamics, and can be modeled in detail to extract information on the relaxation dynamics of the sample as described in the literature 31–33 and summarized in the Supplementary Information. Examples of model curves fitted to the experimental data are reported as well in Fig.…”

Backaction-free measurement of quantum correlations via quantum time-domain interferometry

“…Time-domain interferometry (TDI) is an experimental technique to probe space-time correlations among particles in condensed matter systems [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. Such correlations are quantified by a generalization of the static pair distribution function [14], called the dynamical couple correlation function (DCF), which is given by…”

“…Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.known as the intermediate scattering function (ISF)[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]…”

Probing Quantum Dynamical Couple Correlations with Time-Domain Interferometry

“…Depending on the chosen Mössbauer species, different momentum and energy transfer ranges can be accessed [11]. Recently, also a modified scheme using Mössbauer foils with two resonances has been suggested [13].…”

“…So far, TDI has been analyzed and demonstrated experimentally [5,10,11,13,15,16] for targets which can be described by classical mechanics [17]. However, quantum effects change the DCF [1,18], and such quantum corrections have been theoretically studied [19][20][21][22] and observed in quantum-liquids [23,24] or in surface diffusion [25].…”