Towards Time-Resolved Atomic Structure Determination by X-Ray Standing Waves at a Free-Electron Laser

We demonstrate the structural sensitivity and accuracy of the standing wave technique at a high repetition rate free-electron laser, FLASH at DESY in Hamburg, by measuring the photoelectron yield from the surface SiO2 of Mo/Si multilayers. These experiments open up the possibility to obtain unprecedented structural information of adsorbate and surface atoms with picometer spatial accuracy and femtosecond temporal resolution. This technique will substantially contribute to a fundamental understanding of chemical reactions at catalytic surfaces and the structural dynamics of superconductors.