Attosecond probing of photoionization dynamics from diatomic to many-atom molecules

Alexie Boyer (1) , Saikat Nandi (1) , Vincent Loriot (1)

1 iLM - DYNAMO - iLM - Structure et dynamique multi-échelle des édifices moléculaires

The natural diversity of molecules in terms of geometries, chemical properties, work-functions, among others, offers an impressive laboratory for observing fundamental electron dynamics down to the attosecond timescale. Here, we use some recent angularly resolved Wigner time delay measurements performed in our attoscience laboratory in Lyon to illustrate the electron dynamics in molecules containing a few (N2, C2H2, and C2H4) to many atoms (C10H8 and C10H16). In the fewatom case, the Wigner delay can be measured for a particular electronic state. This allows us to identify the underlying physical mechanisms governing photoionization processes, such as the well-known shape resonance in valence-ionized nitrogen molecule. Promising new experimental results using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy on ethylene show a tendency in the ionization time delay between the X and A states. As a perspective, we show that for many-atom molecules (C60 and C10Hx, with x = 8 or 16), the photoionization metrology can address different kinds of electron dynamics with a collective behavior.

Mots clés: Attoscience RABBIT measurements Wigner delay; Attoscience; RABBIT measurements; Wigner delay

Domaines: Chimie

Alexie Boyer, Saikat Nandi, Vincent Loriot. Attosecond probing of photoionization dynamics from diatomic to many-atom molecules. The European Physical Journal. Special Topics, 2023, 232 (13), pp.2001-2009. ⟨10.1140/epjs/s11734-022-00754-9⟩. ⟨hal-04283048⟩