Ultrafast X-ray scattering

I’ve pursued these experiments for over 30 years now – first with electron scattering but now with x-ray scattering as technology evolved. My dream of measuring how molecules react came true with the advent of X-ray Free-Electron Lasers. This collaboration has been exceptionally rewarding because it is a wonderful group of people who share a love for science and creative thinking. This has been the highlight of everything I have ever done in chemistry.

Think of an experimental scientist like being the conductor of an orchestra. If everything works well then the music it plays is beautiful – but everything must be perfect for this to happen. It is much the same with experiments: they can be incredibly complicated and everything must work together at the same time for them to work. In this case, using the X-ray Free Electron Laser, we had only minimal time to practice. That was a tremendous challenge. But as always, there is a learning curve and over time our results got better.

We are living in a golden age for research. Modern facilities are so sophisticated and provide fantastic opportunities for young scientists. There is so much room for different talent from different backgrounds. Be really good at one thing and find a team where your skill can be an important piece of the puzzle.

That these experiments had not been done before, taking us into unchartered territory. We were constantly forced to solve new problems, re-evaluate our ideas and concepts, and adapt plans accordingly.

I am a theoretician and led the team of students and postdocs in Edinburgh that worked on the analysis and interpretation of the experiments, including simulations of the photochemical reactions that we studied in the experiments. A really fun aspect of this work was to dream up new experiments to try out.

Ultrafast x-ray scattering, and other experiments enabled by X-ray Free-Electron Lasers, will become increasingly important. It is a new tool which allows us to study dynamic changes in matter in great detail. Over the next few years, I expect that a more complete picture of complex photochemical reactions will emerge - I am constantly amazed by how much information one can extract from these types of experiments.

Ideas have no borders and science is inherently international.

If we look around us, almost everything is atoms and molecules. Understanding how this works is crucial to almost every aspect of our existence.

Think of it is a career in science rather than as a career in chemistry. Subject labels are limiting. Take pleasure in solving problems, this gives day-to-day satisfaction. Perseverance and tenacity help. Take risks and remember that it may take time for people to see the value of what you do. Likewise, be generous to others and their ideas. And remember to have fun!

Since I joined the team in 2014 as a PhD student and later as a PDRA, I have been working on the development of a solid theoretical background able to explain gas-phase molecular X-ray scattering. As this is an emergent field, the targets and goals have dynamically evolved over recent years and, in collaboration with a great team of theoreticians, I have been trying to keep track of these changes by creating useful tools for the simulation and characterization of experimental results. Even though I have worked on the theory side of the project, I have greatly benefited from the collaboration with experimental experts, and I believe this project could have not worked without this symbiotic relationship.

The interdisciplinary character of this project has led to a fruitful collaboration between a broad range of experts in the X-ray scattering field. In my opinion, everyone has brought their own strengths into the project, and we have covered all the required skills necessary for a successful outcome. We have combined a great team of X-ray experimentalists, who have designed, developed, and carried out the experiments, with an team of theoreticians who have developed the different theories and tools needed to analyse the experimental data.

Chemistry is a continuously evolving field and the number of questions raised increases dramatically over time. In my opinion, building projects without any frontiers would allow for the skills and strengths of different people to be combined to answer those from different perspectives. I think that creating an international scientific environment is very positive and largely helps in the development of chemical sciences. 

The x-ray technology continues to develop which will see even higher speeds. This allows for more data to be gathered and the increased stability of our shots. Further down the line is the ability to get more energetic x-rays for us to use, giving us more information than ever before and providing more insight into the chemistry.

It takes a village of people to think about the experiment, model the experiment and execute the experiment, and what’s great about that is the expertise that others bring help us visualise and interpret the reactions and help us to create better and better predictive models.

The x-ray technology continues to develop which will see even higher speeds. This allows for more data to be gathered and the increased stability of our shots. Further down the line is the ability to get more energetic x-rays for us to use, giving us more information than ever before and providing more insight into the chemistry.