Erlangen 2018 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 40: Strong laser fields - III

A 40.4: Talk

Thursday, March 8, 2018, 15:15–15:30, K 2.019

Direct observation of a core-hole spin-orbit wave packet using strong-field spectroscopy — •Alexander Blättermann, Maximilian Hartmann, Paul Birk, Veit Stooß, Gergana Borisova, Christian Ott, and Thomas Pfeifer — Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Deutschland

Spin-orbit coupling and its dynamics play an important role from atomic physics through chemical reactions of molecules up to magnetic properties in material science. Thus far, experimental studies were limited to spin-orbit dynamics in the valence shell of atoms [1]. Here, we present the time-domain observation of ultrafast coherent dynamics among 4d-core-hole states in xenon. The wave packet is created by an extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) light pulse, which lifts a 4d electron to the 6p shell. The natural time-scale of 2.1 fs is dictated by the intrinsically strong fine-structure splitting among the two possible core-hole configurations. Strong-field spectroscopy, i.e., probing the XUV-induced dynamics by means of an intense near-infrared laser pulse [2], allows us to observe these fast wave packet dynamics via a multiphoton-induced coupling of the studied states. These results open a route to site-selective and element-specific studies of coherent electron dynamics in larger systems such as polyatomic molecules and complex solids, where core electrons provide local probes of the electronic structure and dynamics.

Nature 466, 739 (2010)
Science 354, 738 (2016)