1. |
- Borne, Kurtis D., et al.
(author)
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Ultrafast electronic relaxation pathways of the molecular photoswitch quadricyclane
- 2024
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In: NATURE CHEMISTRY. - : Springer Nature. - 1755-4330 .- 1755-4349. ; 16, s. 499-505
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The light-induced ultrafast switching between molecular isomers norbornadiene and quadricyclane can reversibly store and release a substantial amount of chemical energy. Prior work observed signatures of ultrafast molecular dynamics in both isomers upon ultraviolet excitation but could not follow the electronic relaxation all the way back to the ground state experimentally. Here we study the electronic relaxation of quadricyclane after exciting in the ultraviolet (201 nanometres) using time-resolved gas-phase extreme ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy combined with non-adiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. We identify two competing pathways by which electronically excited quadricyclane molecules relax to the electronic ground state. The fast pathway (<100 femtoseconds) is distinguished by effective coupling to valence electronic states, while the slow pathway involves initial motions across Rydberg states and takes several hundred femtoseconds. Both pathways facilitate interconversion between the two isomers, albeit on different timescales, and we predict that the branching ratio of norbornadiene/quadricyclane products immediately after returning to the electronic ground state is approximately 3:2.
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2. |
- Fushitani, Mizuho, et al.
(author)
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Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of complex resonances in molecular nitrogen
- 2021
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In: The Journal of chemical physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-9606 .- 1089-7690. ; 154:14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have used the FERMI free-electron laser to perform time-resolved photoelectron imaging experiments on a complex group of resonances near 15.38 eV in the absorption spectrum of molecular nitrogen, N2, under jet-cooled conditions. The new data complement and extend the earlier work of Fushitani et al. [Opt. Express 27, 19702–19711 (2019)], who recorded time-resolved photoelectron spectra for this same group of resonances. Time-dependent oscillations are observed in both the photoelectron yields and the photoelectron angular distributions, providing insight into the interactions among the resonant intermediate states. In addition, for most states, we observe an exponential decay of the photoelectron yield that depends on the ionic final state. This observation can be rationalized by the different lifetimes for the intermediate states contributing to a particular ionization channel. Although there are nine resonances within the group, we show that by detecting individual photoelectron final states and their angular dependence, we can identify and differentiate quantum pathways within this complex system.
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3. |
- Nandi, Saikat, et al.
(author)
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Generation of entanglement using a short-wavelength seeded free-electron laser
- 2024
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In: SCIENCE ADVANCES. - 2375-2548. ; 10:16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Quantum entanglement between the degrees of freedom encountered in the classical world is challenging to observe due to the surrounding environment. To elucidate this issue, we investigate the entanglement generated over ultrafast timescales in a bipartite quantum system comprising two massive particles: a free-moving photoelectron, which expands to a mesoscopic length scale, and a light-dressed atomic ion, which represents a hybrid state of light and matter. Although the photoelectron spectra are measured classically, the entanglement allows us to reveal information about the dressed-state dynamics of the ion and the femtosecond extreme ultraviolet pulses delivered by a seeded free-electron laser. The observed generation of entanglement is interpreted using the time-dependent von Neumann entropy. Our results unveil the potential for using short-wavelength coherent light pulses from free-electron lasers to generate entangled photoelectron and ion systems for studying spooky action at a distance.
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4. |
- Nandi, Saikat, et al.
(author)
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Unraveling Rabi dynamics with a seeded FEL at XUV wavelength
- 2023
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In: 2023 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe and European Quantum Electronics Conference, CLEO/Europe-EQEC 2023. - 9798350345995
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rabi oscillations, a prominent feature of coherent light-matter interaction arise when a two-level system interacts periodically with an external electromagnetic field [1]. Despite being a cornerstone in quantum physics, they are usually studied in the long-wavelength region, ranging from mid-infrared to visible. Here, we demonstrate that intense femtosecond extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulses from FERMI seeded free-electron laser [2] can drive Rabi oscillations between the two levels: 1s2 and 1s4p in helium.
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