Visualizing electron delocalization, electron-proton correlations, and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox during the photodissociation of a diatomic molecule using two ultrashort laser pulses

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.062101· OSTI ID:21407889

Chelkowski, Szczepan; Bandrauk, Andre D ^[1]

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1. Laboratoire de Chimie Theorique, Faculte des Sciences, Universite de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke Qc, J1K 2R1 (Canada)

We investigate theoretically the dissociative ionization of an H{sub 2}{sup +} molecule using two ultrashort laser (pump-probe) pulses. The pump pulse prepares a dissociating nuclear wave packet on an ungerade surface of H{sub 2}{sup +}. Next, an ultraviolet [or extreme ultraviolet (XUV)] probe pulse ionizes this dissociating state at large (R=20-100 bohr) internuclear distance. We calculate the momenta distributions of protons and photoelectrons which show a (two-slit-like) interference structure. A general, simple interference formula is obtained which depends on the electron and protons momenta, as well as, on the pump-probe delay and also on the durations and polarizations of the laser pulses. This pump-probe scheme reveals a striking quantum delocalization of the electron over two protons which intuitively should be localized on just one of the protons separated by the distance R much larger than the atomic Bohr orbit.

• OSTI ID: 21407889
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 81; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARYONS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CORRELATIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DISSOCIATION
DISTANCE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HYDROGEN IONS
HYDROGEN IONS 2 PLUS
INTERFERENCE
IONIZATION
IONS
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
LEPTONS
MOLECULAR IONS
MOLECULES
NUCLEONS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOLYSIS
POLARIZATION
PROTONS
PULSES
RADIATIONS
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
WAVE PACKETS