1. |
- Allum, Felix, et al.
(author)
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Coulomb explosion imaging of CH3I and CH2CII photodissociation dynamics
- 2018
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In: Journal of Chemical Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-9606 .- 1089-7690. ; 149:20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The photodissociation dynamics of CH3I and CH2CII at 272 nm were investigated by time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging, with an intense non-resonant 815nmprobe pulse. Fragment ion momenta over a widem/z range were recorded simultaneously by coupling a velocity map imaging spectrometer with a pixel imaging mass spectrometry camera. For both molecules, delay-dependent pump-probe features were assigned to ultraviolet-induced carbon-iodine bond cleavage followed by Coulomb explosion. Multi-mass imaging also allowed the sequential cleavage of both carbon-halogen bonds in CH2ClI to be investigated. Furthermore, delay-dependent relative fragment momenta of a pair of ions were directly determined using recoil-frame covariance analysis. These results are complementary to conventional velocity map imaging experiments and demonstrate the application of time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging to photoinduced real-time molecular motion.
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2. |
- Amini, Kasra, et al.
(author)
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Alignment, orientation, and Coulomb explosion of difluoroiodobenzene studied with the pixel imaging mass spectrometry (PImMS) camera
- 2017
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In: Journal of Chemical Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-9606 .- 1089-7690. ; 147:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Laser-induced adiabatic alignment and mixed-field orientation of 2,6-difluoroiodobenzene (C6H3F2I) molecules are probed by Coulomb explosion imaging following either near-infrared strong-field ionization or extreme-ultraviolet multi-photon inner-shell ionization using free-electron laser pulses. The resulting photoelectrons and fragment ions are captured by a double-sided velocity map imaging spectrometer and projected onto two position-sensitive detectors. The ion side of the spectrometer is equipped with a pixel imaging mass spectrometry camera, a time-stamping pixelated detector that can record the hit positions and arrival times of up to four ions per pixel per acquisition cycle. Thus, the time-of-flight trace and ion momentum distributions for all fragments can be recorded simultaneously. We show that we can obtain a high degree of one-and three-dimensional alignment and mixed-field orientation and compare the Coulomb explosion process induced at both wavelengths.
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3. |
- Amini, Kasra, et al.
(author)
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Photodissociation of aligned CH3I and C6H3F2I molecules probed with time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging by site-selective extreme ultraviolet ionization
- 2018
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In: Structural Dynamics. - : AIP Publishing. - 2329-7778. ; 5:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We explore time-resolved Coulomb explosion induced by intense, extreme ultraviolet (XUV) femtosecond pulses from a free-electron laser as a method to image photo-induced molecular dynamics in two molecules, iodomethane and 2,6-difluoroiodobenzene. At an excitation wavelength of 267 nm, the dominant reaction pathway in both molecules is neutral dissociation via cleavage of the carbon-iodine bond. This allows investigating the influence of the molecular environment on the absorption of an intense, femtosecond XUV pulse and the subsequent Coulomb explosion process. We find that the XUV probe pulse induces local inner-shell ionization of atomic iodine in dissociating iodomethane, in contrast to non-selective ionization of all photofragments in difluoroiodobenzene. The results reveal evidence of electron transfer from methyl and phenyl moieties to a multiply charged iodine ion. In addition, indications for ultrafast charge rearrangement on the phenyl radical are found, suggesting that time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging is sensitive to the localization of charge in extended molecules.
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4. |
- Boll, Rebecca, et al.
(author)
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Imaging molecular structure through femtosecond photoelectron diffraction on aligned and oriented gas-phase molecules
- 2014
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In: Faraday Discussions. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1364-5498. ; 171, s. 57-80
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper gives an account of our progress towards performing femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron diffraction on gas-phase molecules in a pump-probe setup combining optical lasers and an X-ray free-electron laser. We present results of two experiments aimed at measuring photoelectron angular distributions of laser-aligned 1-ethynyl-4-fluorobenzene (C8H5F) and dissociating, laser-aligned 1,4-dibromobenzene (C6H4Br2) molecules and discuss them in the larger context of photoelectron diffraction on gas-phase molecules. We also show how the strong nanosecond laser pulse used for adiabatically laser-aligning the molecules influences the measured electron and ion spectra and angular distributions, and discuss how this may affect the outcome of future time-resolved photoelectron diffraction experiments.
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5. |
- 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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6. |
- Brasse, Felix, et al.
(author)
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Time-resolved inner-shell photoelectron spectroscopy : From a bound molecule to an isolated atom
- 2018
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In: Physical Review A: covering atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum information. - 2469-9926 .- 2469-9934. ; 97:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to its element and site specificity, inner-shell photoelectron spectroscopy is a widely used technique to probe the chemical structure of matter. Here, we show that time-resolved inner-shell photoelectron spectroscopy can be employed to observe ultrafast chemical reactions and the electronic response to the nuclear motion with high sensitivity. The ultraviolet dissociation of iodomethane (CH3I) is investigated by ionization above the iodine 4d edge, using time-resolved inner-shell photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy. The dynamics observed in the photoelectron spectra appear earlier and are faster than those seen in the iodine fragments. The experimental results are interpreted using crystal-field and spin-orbit configuration interaction calculations, and demonstrate that time-resolved inner-shell photoelectron spectroscopy is a powerful tool to directly track ultrafast structural and electronic transformations in gas-phase molecules.
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7. |
- Burt, Michael, et al.
(author)
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Coulomb-explosion imaging of concurrent CH2BrI photodissociation dynamics
- 2017
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In: Physical Review A: covering atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum information. - 2469-9926 .- 2469-9934. ; 96:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The dynamics following laser-induced molecular photodissociation of gas-phase CH2BrI at 271.6 nm were investigated by time-resolved Coulomb-explosion imaging using intense near-IR femtosecond laser pulses. The observed delay-dependent photofragment momenta reveal that CH2BrI undergoes C-I cleavage, depositing 65.6% of the available energy into internal product states, and that absorption of a second UV photon breaks the C-Br bond of C(H)2Br. Simulations confirm that this mechanism is consistent with previous data recorded at 248 nm, demonstrating the sensitivity of Coulomb-explosion imaging as a real-time probe of chemical dynamics.
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8. |
- Forbes, Ruaridh, et al.
(author)
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Time-resolved site-selective imaging of predissociation and charge transfer dynamics : The CH3I B-band
- 2020
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In: Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 53:22
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The predissociation dynamics of the 6s (B2E) Rydberg state of gas-phase CH3I were investigated by time-resolved Coulomb-explosion imaging using extreme ultraviolet (XUV) free-electron laser pulses. Inner-shell ionization at the iodine 4d edge was utilized to provide a site-specific probe of the ensuing dynamics. The combination of a velocity-map imaging (VMI) spectrometer coupled with the pixel imaging mass spectrometry (PImMS) camera permitted three-dimensional ionic fragment momenta to be recorded simultaneously for a wide range of iodine charge states. In accord with previous studies, initial excitation at 201.2 nm results in internal conversion and subsequent dissociation on the lower-lying A-state surface on a picosecond time scale. Examination of the time-dependent yield of low kinetic energy iodine fragments yields mechanistic insights into the predissociation and subsequent charge transfer following multiple ionization of the iodine products. The effect of charge transfer was observed through differing delay-dependencies of the various iodine charge states, from which critical internuclear distances for charge transfer could be inferred and compared to a classical over-the-barrier model. Time-dependent photofragment angular anisotropy parameters were extracted from the central slice of the Newton sphere, without Abel inversion, and highlight the effect of rotation of the parent molecule before dissociation, as observed in previous
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9. |
- Gorkhover, Tais, et al.
(author)
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Femtosecond and nanometre visualization of structural dynamics in superheated nanoparticles
- 2016
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In: Nature Photonics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1749-4885 .- 1749-4893. ; 10:2, s. 93-97
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ability to observe ultrafast structural changes in nanoscopic samples is essential for understanding non-equilibrium phenomena such as chemical reactions, matter under extreme conditions, ultrafast phase transitions and intense light-matter interactions. Established imaging techniques are limited either in time or spatial resolution and typically require samples to be deposited on a substrate, which interferes with the dynamics. Here, we show that coherent X-ray diffraction images from isolated single samples can be used to visualize femtosecond electron density dynamics. We recorded X-ray snapshot images from a nanoplasma expansion, a prototypical non-equilibrium phenomenon. Single Xe clusters are superheated using an intense optical laser pulse and the structural evolution of the sample is imaged with a single X-ray pulse. We resolved ultrafast surface softening on the nanometre scale at the plasma/vacuum interface within 100 fs of the heating pulse. Our study is the first time-resolved visualization of irreversible femtosecond processes in free, individual nanometre-sized samples.
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10. |
- Kockert, Hansjochen, et al.
(author)
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UV-induced dissociation of CH2BrI probed by intense femtosecond XUV pulses
- 2022
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In: JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 55:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ultraviolet (UV)-induced dissociation and photofragmentation of gas-phase CH2BrI molecules induced by intense femtosecond extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses at three different photon energies are studied by multi-mass ion imaging. Using a UV-pump-XUV-probe scheme, charge transfer between highly charged iodine ions and neutral CH2Br radicals produced by C-I bond cleavage is investigated. In earlier charge-transfer studies, the center of mass of the molecules was located along the axis of the bond cleaved by the pump pulse. In the present case of CH2BrI, this is not the case, thus inducing a rotation of the fragment. We discuss the influence of the rotation on the charge transfer process using a classical over-the-barrier model. Our modeling suggests that, despite the fact that the dissociation is slower due to the rotational excitation, the critical interatomic distance for charge transfer is reached faster. Furthermore, we suggest that charge transfer during molecular fragmentation may be modulated in a complex way.
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11. |
- Kuepper, Jochen, et al.
(author)
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X-Ray Diffraction from Isolated and Strongly Aligned Gas-Phase Molecules with a Free-Electron Laser
- 2014
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 112:8, s. 083002-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report experimental results on x-ray diffraction of quantum-state-selected and strongly aligned ensembles of the prototypical asymmetric rotor molecule 2,5-diiodobenzonitrile using the Linac Coherent Light Source. The experiments demonstrate first steps toward a new approach to diffractive imaging of distinct structures of individual, isolated gas-phase molecules. We confirm several key ingredients of single molecule diffraction experiments: the abilities to detect and count individual scattered x-ray photons in single shot diffraction data, to deliver state-selected, e.g., structural-isomer-selected, ensembles of molecules to the x-ray interaction volume, and to strongly align the scattering molecules. Our approach, using ultrashort x-ray pulses, is suitable to study ultrafast dynamics of isolated molecules.
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12. |
- Leitner, Torsten, 1979-, et al.
(author)
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Coherent wave packet dynamics in photo-excited Nal
- 2013
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In: EPJ Web of Conferences. - : EDP Sciences. - 2100-014X. - 9782759809561 ; 41, s. 02027-
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Time and energy resolved photoelectron distributions of photo-excited Nal are presented. A splitting in the photo-excited state suggested by calculations of the intramolecular potential energy surfaces could be confirmed experimentally for the first time.
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13. |
- Rouzée, Arnaud, et al.
(author)
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Molecular Movies from Molecular Frame Photoelectron Angular Distribution (MF-PAD) Measurements
- 2014
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In: Ultrafast Phenomena in Molecular Sciences : Femtosecond Physics and Chemistry - Femtosecond Physics and Chemistry. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 0172-6218. - 9783319020501 ; 107, s. 1-24
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We discuss recent and on-going experiments, where molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions (MFPADs) of high kinetic energy photoelectrons are measured in order to determine the time evolution of molecular structures in the course of a photochemical event. These experiments include, on the one hand, measurements where single XUV/X-ray photons, obtained from a free electron laser (FEL) or by means of high-harmonic generation (HHG), are used to eject a high energy photoelectron, and, on the other hand, measurements where a large number of mid-infrared photons are absorbed in the course of strong-field ionization. In the former case, first results indicate a manifestation of the both the electronic orbital and the molecular structure in the angle-resolved photoelectron distributions, while in the latter case novel holographic structures are measured that suggest that both the molecular structure and ultrafast electronic rearrangement processes can be studied with a time-resolution that reaches down into the attosecond and few-femtosecond domain.
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14. |
- Savelyev, Evgeny, et al.
(author)
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Jitter-correction for IR/UV-XUV pump-probe experiments at the FLASH free-electron laser
- 2017
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In: New Journal of Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1367-2630. ; 19:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In pump-probe experiments employing a free-electron laser (FEL) in combination with a synchronized optical femtosecond laser, the arrival-time jitter between the FEL pulse and the optical laser pulse often severely limits the temporal resolution that can be achieved. Here, we present a pump-probe experiment on the UV-induced dissociation of 2,6-difluoroiodobenzene (C6H3F2I) molecules performed at the FLASH FEL that takes advantage of recent upgrades of the FLASH timing and synchronization system to obtain high-quality data that are not limited by the FEL arrival-time jitter. We discuss in detail the necessary data analysis steps and describe the origin of the time-dependent effects in the yields and kinetic energies of the fragment ions that we observe in the experiment.
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15. |
- Schütte, Bernd, et al.
(author)
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Autoionization following nanoplasma formation in atomic and molecular clusters
- 2016
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In: European Physical Journal D. Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6060. ; 70:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract: Nanoplasmas resulting from the ionization of nano-scale particles by intense laser pulses are typically described by quasiclassical models, where electron emission is understood to take place via thermal processes. Recently, we discovered that, following the interaction of intense near-infrared (NIR) laser pulses with molecular oxygen clusters, electron emission from nanoplasmas can also occur from atomic bound states via autoionization [Schütte et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 123002 (2015)]. Here we extend these studies and demonstrate that the formation and decay of doubly-excited atoms and ions is a very common phenomenon in nanoplasmas. We report on the observation of autoionization involving spin-orbit excited states in molecular oxygen and carbon dioxide clusters as well as in atomic krypton and xenon clusters ionized by intense NIR pulses, for which we find clear bound-state signatures in the electron kinetic energy spectra. By applying terahertz (THz) streaking, we show that the observed autoionization processes take place on a picosecond to nanosecond timescale after the interaction of the NIR laser pulse with the clusters. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
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16. |
- Schütte, Bernd, et al.
(author)
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Slow electrons from intense laser-cluster interactions
- 2016
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In: International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena, UP 2016. - 9781943580187
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A surprisingly dominant contribution of slow electrons is observed following NIR strong-field ionization of clusters. This is consistent with highly efficient intra-Rydberg correlated electronic decay processes, from which the emission of low-energy electrons is expected.
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