Time-Resolved Electron Diffraction from Selectively Aligned Molecules

Journal Article · Fri May 29 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.102.213001· OSTI ID:21322820

Reckenthaeler, Peter; Krausz, Ferenc ^[1]; Centurion, Martin; Fuss, Werner; Trushin, Sergei A; Fill, Ernst E ^[1]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

We experimentally demonstrate ultrafast electron diffraction from transiently aligned molecules in the absence of external (aligning) fields. A sample of aligned molecules is generated through photodissociation with femtosecond laser pulses, and the diffraction pattern is captured by probing the sample with picosecond electron pulses shortly after dissociation - before molecular rotation causes the alignment to vanish. In our experiments the alignment decays with a time constant of 2.6{+-}1.2 ps.

• OSTI ID: 21322820
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 21; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.213001; (c) 2009 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ELECTRONS
LASERS
MOLECULES
PHOTOLYSIS
PULSES
TIME RESOLUTION