Electron and nuclear dynamics in the photoionization of molecules
Date | Mo, 15.09.2014 | |
Time | 16.45 | |
Speaker | Prof. Dr. Fernando Martin, Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain | |
Location | ETH Zurich, Hönggerberg Campus, HPF G6 | |
Program | The development of attosecond laser pulses allows one to probe the inner working of atoms, molecules and surfaces on the timescale of the electronic response. In molecules, attosecond pump-probe spectroscopy enables investigations of the prompt charge redistribution and localization that accompany photo-excitation processes, where a molecule is lifted from the ground Born- Oppenheimer potential energy surface to one or more excited surfaces, and where subsequent photochemistry evolves on femtoand attosecond timescales. In this talk I will present a few theoretical examples of realistic molecular attosecond pump-probe experiments in which simple molecules are ionized with a single attosecond pulse (or a train of attosecond pulses) and are subsequently probed by one or several infrared or xuv few-cycle pulses. The evolution of the electronic and nuclear densities in the photo-excited molecule or remaining molecular ions is calculated with attosecond time-resolution and is visualized by varying the delay between the pump and probe pulses. The results of these calculations allow one to explain several experimental observations as well as to guide future experimental efforts to uncover ultrafast electron and nuclear dynamics in molecules. |