Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 13 June 2008:
Vol. 320. no. 5882, pp. 1478 - 1482
DOI: 10.1126/science.1157980
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Laser-Induced Electron Tunneling and Diffraction

M. Meckel,1,2 D. Comtois,3 D. Zeidler,1,4 A. Staudte,1,2 D. Pavicic,1 H. C. Bandulet,3 H. Pépin,3 J. C. Kieffer,3 R. Dörner,2 D. M. Villeneuve,1 P. B. Corkum1*

Molecular structure is usually determined by measuring the diffraction pattern the molecule impresses on x-rays or electrons. We used a laser field to extract electrons from the molecule itself, accelerate them, and in some cases force them to recollide with and diffract from the parent ion, all within a fraction of a laser period. Here, we show that the momentum distribution of the extracted electron carries the fingerprint of the highest occupied molecular orbital, whereas the elastically scattered electrons reveal the position of the nuclear components of the molecule. Thus, in one comprehensive technology, the photoelectrons give detailed information about the electronic orbital and the position of the nuclei.

1 National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0R6.
2 Institut für Kernphysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, Max-von-Laue Straße 1, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
3 Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique–Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunication, 1650 boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Québec, Canada, J3X 1S2.
4 Carl Zeiss SMT AG, Rudolf-Eber-Straße 2, 73447 Oberkochen, Germany.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: paul.corkum{at}nrc.ca

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Laser Tunnel Ionization from Multiple Orbitals in HCl.
H. Akagi, T. Otobe, A. Staudte, A. Shiner, F. Turner, R. Dorner, D. M. Villeneuve, and P. B. Corkum (2009)
Science 325, 1364-1367
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Time-Resolved Molecular Frame Dynamics of Fixed-in-Space CS2 Molecules.
C. Z. Bisgaard, O. J. Clarkin, G. Wu, A. M. D. Lee, O. Gessner, C. C. Hayden, and A. Stolow (2009)
Science 323, 1464-1468
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Attosecond Ionization and Tunneling Delay Time Measurements in Helium.
P. Eckle, A. N. Pfeiffer, C. Cirelli, A. Staudte, R. Dorner, H. G. Muller, M. Buttiker, and U. Keller (2008)
Science 322, 1525-1529
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Time-Resolved Dynamics in N2O4 Probed Using High Harmonic Generation.
W. Li, X. Zhou, R. Lock, S. Patchkovskii, A. Stolow, H. C. Kapteyn, and M. M. Murnane (2008)
Science 322, 1207-1211
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)