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Laser-induced Coulomb explosion dynamics of molecules in helium nanodroplets
Phys. Rev. A 112, 063118 – Published 23 December, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7f9s-1d4t
Abstract
We investigate the Coulomb explosion dynamics of molecules embedded in helium nanodroplets, induced by an intense ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulse. By employing ion-ion coincidence and momentum correlation spectroscopy, we identify the Coulomb-exploded double ionization of molecules within the droplets. Our results demonstrate that the collisions between dissociating ions and surrounding He atoms significantly alter both the kinetic energy distributions and the emission direction of the ion fragments. Notably, the fragments originating from the Coulomb explosion channel exhibit higher kinetic energies in larger droplets, a phenomenon driven by the solvation dynamics that depend on the fragment's kinetic energy and droplet size. This study provides deep insights into the translation, dissociation, and solvation processes of light impurities in quantum liquid, underscoring the critical role of droplet size in shaping fragment kinetics during these processes.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
synopsis
Seeing a Molecule’s Quantum Shadow
An optical technique reveals the spatial extent of a molecule’s wave function when the molecule is embedded in a tiny helium droplet.
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