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Clocking Enhanced Ionization of Hydrogen Molecules with Rotational Wave Packets

Yonghao Mi1,2,*, Peng Peng2, Nicolas Camus1, Xufei Sun1, Patrick Fross1, Denhi Martinez1, Zack Dube2, P. B. Corkum2, D. M. Villeneuve2 et al.

André Staudte2,†, Robert Moshammer1,‡, and Thomas Pfeifer1,§

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
  • 2Joint Attosecond Science Laboratory, National Research Council and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada

  • *yonghao.mi@mpi-hd.mpg.de
  • †andre.staudte@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
  • ‡robert.moshammer@mpi-hd.mpg.de
  • §thomas.pfeifer@mpi-hd.mpg.de
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 173201 – Published 23 October, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.173201

Abstract

Laser-induced rotational wave packets of H2 and D2 molecules were experimentally measured in real time by using two sequential 25-fs laser pulses and a reaction microscope. By measuring the time-dependent yields of the above-threshold dissociation and the enhanced ionization of the molecule, we observed a few-femtosecond time delay between the two dissociation channels for both H2 and D2. The delay was interpreted and reproduced by a classical model that considers enhanced ionization and thus additional interaction within the laser pulse. We demonstrate that by accurately measuring the phase of the rotational wave packet in hydrogen molecules we can resolve dissociation dynamics which is occurring within a fraction of a molecular rotation. Such a rotational clock is a general concept applicable to sequential fragmentation processes in other molecules.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 173201– Published 23 October, 2020
  • Received 26 May 2020
  • Revised 14 September 2020
  • Accepted 24 September 2020
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.

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