Projects per year
Abstract
We present the results of a combined experimental and numerical study on strong-field ionisation of acetylene performed with the aim of identifying the mechanism behind the previously reported surprisingly large multi-electron ionisation probabilities of polyatomic molecules. Using coincidence momentum imaging techniques and time-dependent density functional simulations, we show that the reported efficient ionisation is due to the combined action of a significant geometrically induced energy upshift of the most relevant valence orbitals as the C-H distance stretches beyond about two times the equilibrium distance, and a strong increase in the coupling between multiple molecular orbitals concomitant with this stretch motion. The identified enhanced ionisation mechanism, which we refer to as EIC-MOUSE, is only effective for molecules aligned close to parallel to the laser polarisation direction, and is inhibited for perpendicularly aligned molecules because of a suppression of the C-H stretch motion during the onset of ionisation.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 125601 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 31 May 2017 |
Keywords
- Coupling of multiple orbitals
- enhanced ionisation
- multiple ionisation and fragmentation of polyatomic molecules
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Fields of Expertise
- Advanced Materials Science
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Dive into the research topics of 'Enhanced ionisation of polyatomic molecules in intense laser pulses is due to energy upshift and field coupling of multiple orbitals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 1 Finished
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FWF - Photoinduzierte Dynamiken - Photoinduced Dynamics in a Quantum Fluid Environment
1/09/16 → 31/08/20
Project: Research project