High-harmonic spectroscopy of molecular isomers

Journal Article · Tue Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.84.051403· OSTI ID:22093438

Wong, M. C. H.; Brichta, J. -P.; Bhardwaj, V. R. ^[1]; Spanner, M.; Patchkovskii, S. ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, 150 Louis-Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 (Canada)
2. National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6 (Canada)

We demonstrate that high-order-harmonic generation (HHG) spectroscopy can be used to probe stereoisomers of randomly oriented 1,2-dichloroethylene (C{sub 2}H{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}) and 2-butene (C{sub 4}H{sub 8}). The high-harmonic spectra of these isomers are distinguishable over a range of laser intensities and wavelengths. Time-dependent numerical calculations of angle-dependent ionization yields for 1,2-dichloroethylene suggest that the harmonic spectra of molecular isomers reflect differences in their strong-field ionization. The subcycle ionization yields for the cis isomer are an order of magnitude higher than those for the trans isomer. The sensitivity in discrimination of the harmonic spectra of cis- and trans- isomers is greater than 8 and 5 for 1,2-dichloroethylene and 2-butene, respectively. We show that HHG spectroscopy cannot differentiate the harmonic spectra of the two enantiomers of the chiral molecule propylene oxide (C{sub 3}H{sub 6}O).

• OSTI ID: 22093438
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 84; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

2-METHYLPROPENE
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ACETONE
BUTENES
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
ENANTIOMORPHS
HARMONIC GENERATION
IONIZATION
LASER RADIATION
OXIDES
PHOTON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
PROPYLENE
SENSITIVITY
TIME DEPENDENCE
WAVELENGTHS