Time-resolving state-specific molecular dissociation with XUV broadband absorption spectroscopy
Abstract
The electronic and nuclear dynamics inside molecules are essential for chemical reactions, where different pathways typically unfold on ultrafast timescales. Extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light pulses generated by free-electron lasers (FELs) allow atomic-site and electronic-state selectivity, triggering specific molecular dynamics while providing femtosecond resolution. Yet, time-resolved experiments are either blind to neutral fragments or limited by the spectral bandwidth of FEL pulses. Here, we combine a broadband XUV probe pulse from high-order harmonic generation with an FEL pump pulse to observe dissociation pathways leading to fragments in different quantum states. We temporally resolve the dissociation of a specific O2+ state into two competing channels by measuring the resonances of ionic and neutral fragments. This scheme can be applied to investigate convoluted dynamics in larger molecules relevant to diverse science fields.
Details
- Organisation(s)
-
Institute of Quantum Optics
Ultrafast Laser Laboratory
QuantumFrontiers
PhoenixD: Photonics, Optics, and Engineering - Innovation Across Disciplines
- External Organisation(s)
-
Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Heidelberg University
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
Helmholtz Institute Jena
GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research
Universität Hamburg
Kansas State University
- Type
- Article
- Journal
- Science advances
- Volume
- 9
- No. of pages
- 7
- ISSN
- 2375-2548
- Publication date
- 22.11.2023
- Publication status
- Published
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General
- Electronic version(s)
-
https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIADV.ADK1482 (Access:
Open
)
