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Updated: May 8, 2026
10:37
Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
Strong field multiple ionization as a route to electron dynamics in a van der Waals cluster
J Wu1, X Gong, M Kunitski
1State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
Physical Review Letters
|September 10, 2013
Summary
Strong laser fields remove electrons from N2Ar clusters. The alignment of van der Waals (vdW) bonds influences ionization, while covalent bond orientation dictates triple ionization when both bonds break.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Quantum Optics
Background:
- Understanding multi-electron dynamics in molecules under intense laser fields is crucial for controlling chemical reactions.
- Van der Waals (vdW) clusters offer a unique platform to study coupled electronic and nuclear dynamics due to their mixed bonding characteristics.
- The N2Ar cluster, with its T-shaped geometry and both covalent and vdW bonds, presents a simplified yet informative system for investigating orientation-dependent ionization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sequential electron emission from the N2Ar cluster under strong laser fields.
- To determine the influence of molecular orientation, specifically the alignment of covalent and vdW bonds, on ionization pathways.
- To elucidate the mechanisms governing multi-electron detachment, including electron-localization-assisted enhanced ionization.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of strong-field ionization dynamics.
- Simulations of electron detachment from the N2Ar cluster using a time-dependent Schrödinger equation approach.
- Analysis of orientation-dependent ionization yields and fragmentation patterns.
Main Results:
- Ionization and vdW bond breaking in N2Ar are enhanced when the vdW bond aligns with the laser polarization.
- Triple ionization, involving simultaneous breaking of both covalent and vdW bonds, is critically dependent on the covalent bond's orientation.
- Electron localization and molecular orbital profiles significantly influence the observed orientation-dependent ionization probabilities.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals a complex interplay between molecular geometry, bond types, and laser field parameters in controlling multi-electron dynamics.
- Molecular orientation is a key factor in steering ionization pathways and selective bond cleavage in vdW clusters.
- These findings provide insights into fundamental light-matter interactions and offer potential for controlling molecular fragmentation with tailored laser pulses.
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