Surface action spectroscopy with rare gas messenger atoms.

Action spectroscopy with inert gas messengers is commonly used for the characterization of aggregates in the gas phase. The messengers, often rare gas atoms or D molecules, are attached to the gas phase aggregates at low temperature. Vibrational spectra of the aggregates are measured via detection of inert gas desorption following a vibrational excitation by variable-energy infrared light.

Vibrational Action Spectroscopy of Solids: New Surface-Sensitive Technique.

Vibrational action spectroscopy employing infrared radiation from a free-electron laser has been successfully used for many years to study the vibrational and structural properties of gas phase aggregates. Despite the high sensitivity of this method no relevant studies have yet been conducted for solid sample surfaces. We have set up an experiment for the application of this method to such targets, using infrared light from the free-electron laser of the Fritz Haber Institute.