Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulses

Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulses PDF Author: Travis William Wright
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781339544151
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Studying the ultrafast dynamics of small molecules can serve as the first step in understanding the dynamics in larger chemically and biologically relevant molecules. To make direct comparisons with existing computational techniques, the photons used in pump-probe spectroscopy must make perturbative transitions between the electronic states of isolated small molecules. In this dissertation experimental investigations of ultrafast dynamics in electronic excitations of neutral ethylene and carbon dioxide are discussed. These experiments are performed using VUV/XUV femtosecond pulses as pump and probe. To make photons with sufficient energy for single photon transitions, VUV and XUV light is generated by high harmonic generation (HHG) using a high pulse energy ([approximately] 30 - 40 mJ) Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. Sufficient flux must be generated to enable splitting of the HHG light into pump and probe arms. The system produces > 1010 photons per shot, corresponding to nearly 10 MW of peak power in the XUV. Using a high flux of high energy photons creates a unique set of challenges when designing a detector capable of performing pump-probe experiments. A velocity map imaging (VMI) detector has been designed to address these challenges, and has become a successful tool facilitating studies into molecular dynamics that were not possible before its implementation. The emphasis on using high energy, single photon transitions allowed theoretical calculations to be directly compared to experimental yields for the first time. This comparison resolved a long standing issue in the excited state lifetime of ethylene, and provided a confirmation of the branching ratio between the two nonadiabatic relaxation pathways that return ethylene back to its ground state from the [pi]*. The participation of the 3s Rydberg state has also been measured by collecting the time resolved photoelectron spectrum during the dynamics on ethylene [pi]* excited state, confirming calculations predicting the effect of the 3s. In carbon dioxide the first time resolved measurement in the lowest electronic excitation of carbon dioxide has been performed. A high kinetic energy release channel shows the signature of wavepacket dynamics within the excited state manifold. Deviation from the direct dissociation predicted for the pumped state provides experimental evidence confirming theoretical predictions of nonadiabatic transitions within the lowest lying electronically excited states.

Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulses

Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulses PDF Author: Travis William Wright
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781339544151
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Studying the ultrafast dynamics of small molecules can serve as the first step in understanding the dynamics in larger chemically and biologically relevant molecules. To make direct comparisons with existing computational techniques, the photons used in pump-probe spectroscopy must make perturbative transitions between the electronic states of isolated small molecules. In this dissertation experimental investigations of ultrafast dynamics in electronic excitations of neutral ethylene and carbon dioxide are discussed. These experiments are performed using VUV/XUV femtosecond pulses as pump and probe. To make photons with sufficient energy for single photon transitions, VUV and XUV light is generated by high harmonic generation (HHG) using a high pulse energy ([approximately] 30 - 40 mJ) Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. Sufficient flux must be generated to enable splitting of the HHG light into pump and probe arms. The system produces > 1010 photons per shot, corresponding to nearly 10 MW of peak power in the XUV. Using a high flux of high energy photons creates a unique set of challenges when designing a detector capable of performing pump-probe experiments. A velocity map imaging (VMI) detector has been designed to address these challenges, and has become a successful tool facilitating studies into molecular dynamics that were not possible before its implementation. The emphasis on using high energy, single photon transitions allowed theoretical calculations to be directly compared to experimental yields for the first time. This comparison resolved a long standing issue in the excited state lifetime of ethylene, and provided a confirmation of the branching ratio between the two nonadiabatic relaxation pathways that return ethylene back to its ground state from the [pi]*. The participation of the 3s Rydberg state has also been measured by collecting the time resolved photoelectron spectrum during the dynamics on ethylene [pi]* excited state, confirming calculations predicting the effect of the 3s. In carbon dioxide the first time resolved measurement in the lowest electronic excitation of carbon dioxide has been performed. A high kinetic energy release channel shows the signature of wavepacket dynamics within the excited state manifold. Deviation from the direct dissociation predicted for the pumped state provides experimental evidence confirming theoretical predictions of nonadiabatic transitions within the lowest lying electronically excited states.

Femtosecond Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulse Pairs

Femtosecond Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulse Pairs PDF Author: Thomas K. Allison
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781124139937
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 105

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Book Description


Femtosecond Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulse Pairs

Femtosecond Molecular Dynamics Studied with Vacuum Ultraviolet Pulse Pairs PDF Author: Thomas K. Allison III
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
Atoms and molecules have most of their oscillator strength in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and extreme ultraviolet (XUV), between the wavelengths of 200 nm and 30 nm. However, most femtosecond spectroscopy has been restricted to the visible and infrared due to a lack of sufficiently intense VUV and XUV femtosecond light sources. This thesis discusses extensions of pump/probe spectroscopy to the VUV and XUV, and its application to the dynamics of ethylene and oxygen molecules excited at 161 nm. I begin with a detailed discussion of the short wavelength light source used in this work. The source is based on the high order harmonics of a near infrared laser and can deliver> 1010 photons per shot in femtosecond pulses, corresponding to nearly 10 MW peak power in the XUV. Measurements of the harmonic yields as a function of the generation conditions reveal the roles of phase matching and ionization gating in the high order harmonic generation process. Pump/probe measurements are conducted using a unique VUV interferometer, capable of combining two different harmonics at a focus with variable delay. Measurements of VUV multiphoton ionization allows for characterization of the source and the interferometer. In molecules, time resolved measurements of fragment ion yields reveal the femtosecond dynamics of the system. The range of wavelengths available for pump and probe allows the dynamics to be followed from photo-excitation all the way to dissociation without detection window effects. The dynamics in ethylene upon [pi] 2![pi]* excitation are protypical of larger molecules and have thus served as an important test case for advanced ab initio molecular dynamics theories. Femtosecond measurements to date, however, have been extremely lacking. In the present work, through a series of pump probe experiments using VUV and XUV pulses, time scales for the non-adiabatic relaxation of the electronic excitation, hydrogen migration across the double bond, and H2 molecule elimination are measured and compared to theory. In the simpler oxygen molecule, excitation in the Schuman-Runge continuum leads to direct dissociation along the B 3[Sigma]u- potential energy curve. The time resolved photoion spectra show that the total photoionization cross section of the molecule resembles two oxygen atoms within 50 fs after excitation.

Ultrafast Phenomena in Molecular Sciences

Ultrafast Phenomena in Molecular Sciences PDF Author: Rebeca de Nalda
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 331902051X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
This book presents the latest developments in Femtosecond Chemistry and Physics for the study of ultrafast photo-induced molecular processes. Molecular systems, from the simplest H2 molecule to polymers or biological macromolecules, constitute central objects of interest for Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and despite the broad range of phenomena that they exhibit, they share some common behaviors. One of the most significant of those is that many of the processes involving chemical transformation (nuclear reorganization, bond breaking, bond making) take place in an extraordinarily short time, in or around the femtosecond temporal scale (1 fs = 10-15 s). A number of experimental approaches - very particularly the developments in the generation and manipulation of ultrashort laser pulses - coupled with theoretical progress, provide the ultrafast scientist with powerful tools to understand matter and its interaction with light, at this spatial and temporal scale. This book is an attempt to reunite some of the state-of-the-art research that is being carried out in the field of ultrafast molecular science, from theoretical developments, through new phenomena induced by intense laser fields, to the latest techniques applied to the study of molecular dynamics.

Ultrafast Phenomena in Molecular Sciences

Ultrafast Phenomena in Molecular Sciences PDF Author: Rebeca de Nalda
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9783319020525
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
This book presents the latest developments in Femtosecond Chemistry and Physics for the study of ultrafast photo-induced molecular processes. Molecular systems, from the simplest H2 molecule to polymers or biological macromolecules, constitute central objects of interest for Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and despite the broad range of phenomena that they exhibit, they share some common behaviors. One of the most significant of those is that many of the processes involving chemical transformation (nuclear reorganization, bond breaking, bond making) take place in an extraordinarily short time, in or around the femtosecond temporal scale (1 fs = 10-15 s). A number of experimental approaches - very particularly the developments in the generation and manipulation of ultrashort laser pulses - coupled with theoretical progress, provide the ultrafast scientist with powerful tools to understand matter and its interaction with light, at this spatial and temporal scale. This book is an attempt to reunite some of the state-of-the-art research that is being carried out in the field of ultrafast molecular science, from theoretical developments, through new phenomena induced by intense laser fields, to the latest techniques applied to the study of molecular dynamics.

Ultrafast XUV Spectroscopy: Unveiling the Nature of Electronic Couplings in Molecular Dynamics

Ultrafast XUV Spectroscopy: Unveiling the Nature of Electronic Couplings in Molecular Dynamics PDF Author: Henry Timmers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
Molecules are traditionally treated quantum mechanically using the Born-Oppenheimer formalism. In this formalism, different electronic states of the molecule are treated independently. However, most photo-initiated phenomena occurring in nature are driven by the couplings between different electronic states in both isolated molecules and molecular aggregates, and therefore occur beyond the Born-Oppenheimer formalism. These couplings are relevant in reactions relating to the perception of vision in the human eye, the oxidative damage and repair of DNA, the harvesting of light in photosynthesis, and the transfer of charge across large chains of molecules. While these reaction dynamics have traditionally been studied with visible and ultraviolet spectroscopy, attosecond XUV pulses formed through the process of high harmonic generation form a perfect tool for probing coupled electronic dynamics in molecules. In this thesis, I will present our work in using ultrafast, XUV spectroscopy to study these dynamics in molecules of increasing complexity. We begin by probing the relaxation dynamics of superexcited states in diatomic O2. These states can relax via two types of electronic couplings, either through autoionization or neutral dissociation. We find that our pump-probe scheme can disentangle the two relaxation mechanisms and independently measure their contributing lifetimes. Next, we present our work in observing a coherent electron hole wavepacket initiated by the ionization of polyatomic CO2 near a conical intersection. The electron-nuclear couplings near the conical intersection drive the electron hole between different orbital configurations. We find that we can not only measure the lifetime of quantum coherence in the electron hole wavepacket, but also control its evolution with a strong, infrared probing field. Finally, we propose an experiment to observe the migration of an electron hole across iodobenzene on the few-femtosecond timescale. We present experimental modifications made to the high harmonic generation set-up in order to probe this ultrafast and elusive charge migration. These results demonstrate the potential of ultrafast, XUV spectroscopy in probing the inner-workings of electronic couplings occurring in nature.

Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Induced by FEW-femtosecond Ultraviolet Excitation

Ultrafast Molecular Dynamics Induced by FEW-femtosecond Ultraviolet Excitation PDF Author: Lorenzo Colaizzi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Analysis and Control of Ultrafast Photoinduced Reactions

Analysis and Control of Ultrafast Photoinduced Reactions PDF Author: Oliver Kuhn
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9783662518229
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 860

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Book Description
Dynamical processes in molecules like bond shaking, breaking or making c- monlytakeplaceonatimescalefromthepico-downtothefemtosecondrange. Theadventofequallyfastlasersourcesandreal-timeobservationschemeslike pump-probe spectroscopy has facilitated the direct insight into such processes wheninitiatedbylight. Inparallelthedevelopmentofadvancedcomputational methods treating the dynamics of photoexcited molecular systems allowed a convergence between theoretical description and experimental observation of such ultrafast dynamical processes. Consequently, the idea emerged, not only to analyze, but also to control molecular dynamics in real time by adequately designed light ?elds. Stimulated by theoretical concepts for in'uencing the motion of molecular wave packets by means of simple few-parameter elect- magnetic ?eld sequences, experiments were driven toward a practical reali- tion of arbitrarily shaped laser pulses. This development culminated in the active feedback control of even complex systems. In addition this o'ers the unique possibility not only to determine the outcome of chemical reactions, butalsotoretrievespeci'cinformationaboutthechosendynamicalpathways, that is, to perform analysis by control. This book illustrates a vital research ?eld by covering a broad spectrum of molecular systems with growing complexity while demonstrating at the same time the convergence of experimental and theoretical approaches. After a g- eral introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 starts with small isolated molecules in the unperturbed environment of the gas phase and Chapter 3 proceeds to more complex systems, but still in vacuum. A higher level of complexity is then reached in Chapter 4 where small molecules in a rare gas matrices are discussed serving as prototype examples for condensed phase dynamics.

Molecular Dynamics in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

Molecular Dynamics in the Vacuum Ultraviolet PDF Author: Paul L. Houston
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Book Description
The photodissociation of OCS at 222-nm has been examined by using tunable vacuum ultraviolet laser radiation to probe the Carbon monoxide and Sulfur products. Products of both the monomer and polymer dissociation have been identified and characterized, with particular emphasis on vector correlations. The vacuum ultraviolet radiation used to probe the CO and S products is generated by four-wave mixing in magnesium vapor. The photodissociation of OCS at 157 nm and of Carbon dioxide at the same wavelength have also been investigated. Energy transfer between hot hydrogen atoms and CO(v=O, J=O) has been investigated by dissociating Hydrogen sulfide in a molecular beam containing CO and probing the CO product by VUV laser-induced fluorescence. (aw).

Ultrafast Chemical Dynamics of Atoms and Molecules Studied by Femtosecond Time-resolved Extreme Ultraviolet Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

Ultrafast Chemical Dynamics of Atoms and Molecules Studied by Femtosecond Time-resolved Extreme Ultraviolet Transient Absorption Spectroscopy PDF Author: Ming-Fu Lin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
Ultrafast femtosecond (10−15 s) dynamics of atomic xenon, vinyl bromide and carbon disulfide molecules are studied using a newly developed method of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) transient absorption spectroscopy. This research work is devoted to a deeper understanding of the fundamental electronic and nuclear dynamics using XUV light pulses from a high-order harmonic generation source. The produced XUV light pulses are utilized to selectively probe the chemical reaction coordinate with femtosecond temporal resolution. The experimental apparatus for transient absorption pump-probe spectroscopy is described in detail. The research described in this thesis contains four different gaseous atomic and molecular systems. The first system in the study is motivated by a goal to gain a better understanding of the core-excited state couplings of atomic xenon near zero delay between an intense NIR pump pulse (780 nm) and an XUV probe pulse. Secondly, the ionization and dissociation dynamics of molecular vinyl bromide (C2H3Br) under the influence of strong-field ionization are investigated. Finally, an ongoing research project of CS2 and thiophene molecules is presented for future studies of spin-orbit wavepacket and ring-opening dynamics, respectively. The NIR induced core-excited state coupling of atomic xenon is studied using femtosecond XUV transient absorption spectroscopy with photon energies between 50 eV to 70 eV. Coupling of the core-excited states 4d−1(2D5/2)6p(2P3/2) (65.1 eV) and 4d−1(2D3/2)6p(2P1/2) (67.0 eV) to neighboring states by the NIR field results in a threefold enhancement of XUV transmission. The induced transmission at 65.1 eV (67.0 eV) changes from 3.2 ± 0.4% (5.9 ± 0.5%) without the coupling laser to 9 ± 2% (22 ± 5%) at the maximum of the NIR field. A NIR field induced broad XUV absorption feature ranging from 60 eV to 65 eV is explained by the splitting of the field free absorption lines into multiplets when the Rabi frequencies of the coupling transitions higher than the NIR frequency. This assignment is supported by a numerical integration of the von Neumann equation for a few level quantum system. The dissociative ionization dynamics of vinyl bromide, C2H3Br, initiated by a strong laser field ionization are investigated. XUV light pulses with photon energy between 50 eV and 72 eV are utilized to detect the subsequent dynamics. Several dynamic features are observed including the neutral C2H3Br depletion, the formation of C2H3Br ions (X and A states), the production of C2H3Br dications, and the emergence of neutral Br (2P3/2) atoms from dissociative ionization. Free Br (2P3/2) atoms appear on a timescale of 330±150 fs. The singly charged ionic A state displays a time-dependent XUV absorption energy shift of ~0.4 eV during the first 300 fs after strong-filed ionization. The signal intensity from Br atoms correlates with the signal intensity from singly charged parent ions in the A state as a function of NIR laser peak intensity. The experimental observations suggest that vibrationally excited C2H3Br+ (A) ions possibly undergo ultrafast intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution concurrent with the C-Br bond dissociation within a time scale of 330±150 fs. The C2H3Br+ (X) and C2H3Br++ ions are relatively stable as a consequence of deeper potential wells and a high dissociation barrier, respectively. Two ongoing experiments of sulfur-containing molecules are presented that are aimed at future studies of a molecular spin-orbit wavepacket in CS2+ ions and ultrafast ring-opening dynamics of thiophene. Strong-field ionization can coherently populate two spin-orbit states in CS2+ ions. The spin-orbit splitting originates from the atomic sulfur (~60 meV). The small splitting offers the possibility to probe a coherent beating on a time scale of 69 fs, well beyond our temporal resolution of 25 fs. For thiophene, an ultrafast ring-opening process initiated by one-photon excitation at 193 nm is studied through multiphoton ionization at 780 nm. The parent ion population exhibits a fast decay on a time scale of 200±30 fs. This offers a reference for the future XUV transient absorption experiments using one-photon excitation at 193 nm and sulfur (2p) L-edge detection at 165 eV.