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Articles by Peter Zalden
Formation of nanoscale vapour films governing thermal resistance in amorphous ice
Abstract Among the many anomalous properties of water, the formation of amorphous ice is one of its most intriguing phenomena. When water vapour is deposited at very low temperatures, it forms an amorphous solid known as amorphous solid water (ASW). Here, we combine X-ray free-electron laser pump–probe diffraction, continuum heat-transfer modelling, and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the transient thermal response of ASW-films on a platinum substrate.
Ultrafast solvent-modulated roaming mechanism in bromoform revealed by femtosecond X-ray solution scattering - Nature Communications
Abstract Roaming-mediated isomerization is a universal reaction mechanism in photochemistry, yet solvent-dependent pathways of roaming intermediates remain poorly understood, particularly for environmentally relevant halogen compounds involved in ozone depletion. Here, using femtosecond time-resolved X-ray solution scattering, we resolve the solvent-dependent roaming dynamics of CHBr3 in methanol and methylcyclohexane.
Femtosecond x-ray diffraction reveals a liquid-liquid phase transition in phase-change materials
Phase-change materials are important for computer memory. They can quickly switch from glassy to crystalline using a thermal pulse and then lock in that structure for a long time at lower temperature. Zalden et al. probed the underlying atomic structure of two phase-change materials during this switching using ultrafast x-rays and simulations (see the Perspective by Rao et al.). A liquid-liquid phase transition in both materials allowed fast switching at high temperatures.
Molecular polarizability anisotropy of liquid water revealed by terahertz-induced transient orientation
In our experiment, the Kerr effect is induced by single-cycle electromagnetic THz pulses E(t) with electric field strength up to 510 kV/cm (see “Methods” section for details and Supplementary Note 1). The resulting birefringence is probed by the phase shift Δϕ(t) of a co-propagating optical pulse of 150 fs duration and wavelength λ = 800 nm with linear polarization tilted 45° against the polarization of the THz field.
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