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Updated: Feb 25, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
Observation of Excited Quadrupole-Bound States in Cold Anions
Guo-Zhu Zhu1, Yuan Liu1, Lai-Sheng Wang1
1Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
Abstract:
We report the first observation of an excited quadrupole-bound state (QBS) in an anion. High-resolution photoelectron imaging of cryogenically cooled 4-cyanophenoxide (4CP^{-}) anions yields an electron detachment threshold of 24 927 cm^{-1}. The photodetachment spectrum reveals a resonant transition 20 cm^{-1} below the detachment threshold, which is attributed to an excited QBS of 4CP^{-} because neutral 4CP has a large quadrupole moment with a negligible dipole moment. The QBS is confirmed by observation of seventeen above-threshold resonances due to autodetachment from vibrational levels of the QBS.
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