Femtosecond isomerization dynamics in the ethylene cation measured in an EUV-pump NIR-probe configuration

  • J. Van Tilborg
  • , T. K. Allison
  • , T. W. Wright
  • , M. P. Hertlein
  • , R. W. Falcone
  • , Y. Liu
  • , H. Merdji
  • , A. Belkacem

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Dynamics in the excited ethylene cation C2H+ 4 lead to isomerization to the ethylidene configuration (HC-CH 3)+, which is predicted to be a transient configuration for electronic relaxation. With an intense femtosecond extreme ultraviolet pump pulse to populate the excited state, and a near infrared probe pulse to produce the fragments CH+ and CH+3 (which provides a direct signature of ethylidene), we measure optimum fragment yields at a probe delay of 80 fs. Also, an H2-stretch transient configuration, yielding H+2 upon probing, is found to succeed the ethylidene configuration. We find that a simple single- or double-decay model does not match the data, and we present a modified model (introduction of an isomerization delay of 50 25 fs) that does provide agreement.

Original languageEnglish
Article number081002
JournalJournal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
Volume42
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Apr 2009
Externally publishedYes

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