Here, we use x-rays to create and probe quantum coherence in the photoionized amino acid glycine. The outgoing photoelectron leaves behind the cation in a coherent superposition of quantum mechanical eigenstates. Delayed x-ray pulses track the induced coherence through resonant x-ray absorption that induces Auger decay and by photoelectron emission from sequential double photoionization. Sinusoidal temporal modulation of the detected signal at early times (0 to 25 fs) is observed in both measurements. Advanced ab initio many-electron simulations allow us to explain the first 25 fs of the detected coherent quantum evolution in terms of the electronic coherence. In the kinematically complete x-ray absorption measurement, we monitor its dynamics for a period of 175 fs and observe an evolving modulation that may implicate the coupling of electronic to vibronic coherence at longer time scales. Our experiment provides a direct support for the existence of long-lived electronic coherence in photoionized biomolecules.

Department of Physics Imperial College London Prince Consort Road London SW7 2AZ UK

Department of Physics University of Hamburg Luruper Chaussee 149 22761 Hamburg Germany

Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY Notkestr 85 22607 Hamburg Germany

Faculty of Electrical Engineering Helmut Schmidt University Holstenhofweg 85 22043 Hamburg Germany

Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Charles University 5 Holesovickach 2 180 00 Praha 8 Czech Republic

Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena Max Wien Platz 1 07743 Jena Germany

Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research Planckstr 1 64291 Darmstadt Germany

Helmholtz Institute Jena Fröbelstieg 3 07743 Jena Germany

Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie Albert Einstein Straße 15 12489 Berlin Germany

Institute of Physics University of Kassel Heinrich Plett Str 40 34132 Kassel Germany

The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging CUI Luruper Chaussee 149 22761 Hamburg Germany

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