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SYIF: Intense field interaction with molecules and clusters
SYIF 1: Intense field interaction with molecules and clusters 1
SYIF 1.4: Invited Talk
Friday, March 17, 2006, 15:04–15:32, HV
Fragmentation of molecules in intense laser fields: imaging of ultrafast molecular dynamics with coincident momentum spectroscopy — •Artem A. Rudenko, Th. Ergler, B. Feuerstein, K. Zrost, C.D. Schroeter, R. Moshammer, and J. Ullrich — Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Postfach 103980, 69029 Heidelberg
Ultrafast molecular dynamics in strong laser fields attracts continuously increasing attention since modern lasers routinely provide pulses, which match the vibrational timescale even for the fastest molecular systems. In combination with state-of-the-art few-particle detection techniques, this offers a variety of possibilities to study molecular fragmentation with unprecedented precision. Using the so-called "Reaction Microscope", an apparatus which enables coincident measurements of the full momentum vectors of charged reaction products, we study the behaviour of the simplest molecules, H2 and D2, exposed to ultrashort (6-25 fs) intense laser pulses. We disentangle different fragmentation pathways, and show how they evolve when the pulse duration becomes shorter than the vibrational period. Detailed understanding of the fragmentation mechanisms allows us to map the time evolution of dissociating and bound nuclear wave packets using a pump-probe scheme and the so-called Coulomb explosion imaging. The structure of the H2+ (D2+) vibrational wave packet, its dephasing and subsequent revivals can be observed, as well as the signatures of vibrational and rotational motion of a neutral molecule. The experimental technique was also applied to larger molecules, such as N2, CO2, Ar2.