Realization of time-resolved two-vacuum-ultraviolet-photon ionization

A. Peralta Conde (1) , J. Kruse (1) , O. Faucher (2) , P. Tzallas (1) , E. P. Benis (1) , D. Charalambidis (1, 3)

1 FORTH-IESL - Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser
2 ICB - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne
3 UOC - University of Crete [Heraklion]

Ultrafast dynamics of excited molecules is studied through time-resolved two-vacuum-ultraviolet (vuv)- photon ionization using a nonlinear volume autocorrelator unit. The two-vuv-photon process is induced by the intense fifth harmonic radiation of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser. In a proof-of-principle experiment, ultrafast dynamics of excited ethylene and oxygen molecules are investigated. Molecular decay times are deduced by comparing the experimental data with the results of a numerical model that accounts for the spatial and temporal characteristics of the harmonic field. The present experiments pave a convenient way for time domain investigations in the vuv-xuv spectral region in all states of matter at few femtosecond to subfemtosecond temporal scales.

Mots clés: Ultrafast dynamics; VUV; XUX; HHG; higher order harmonic generation; ethylene; oxygen

Domaines: Physique Atomique [physics.atom-ph]

A. Peralta Conde, J. Kruse, O. Faucher, P. Tzallas, E. P. Benis, et al.. Realization of time-resolved two-vacuum-ultraviolet-photon ionization. Physical Review A : Atomic, molecular, and optical physics [1990-2015], 2009, 79 (6), pp.061405(R). ⟨10.1103/PhysRevA.79.061405⟩. ⟨hal-00402819⟩