Direct observation of an attosecond electron wave packet in a nitrogen molecule

Direct experimental visualization of atomic and electron dynamics with attosecond pulses

We illustrate how attosecond light pulses can be used directly in mapping out the time dependence of the motion of atoms in a small molecule, as well as of the correlated motion of two excited electrons in an atom. For simple molecules such as H2 and D2, we show that the vibrational wave packet can be mapped out very accurately, including details due to the broadening and interference. For doub...

Attosecond light pulse induced photo-association

We explore stimulated photo-association in the context of attosecond pump-probe schemes of atomic matter. An attosecond pulse – the probe – is used to induce photo-association of an electronic wave packet which had been created before, typically with an attosecond pump pulse at an atomic center different from the one of photo-association. We will show that the electron absorption is maximal for...

Attosecond and Angstrom Science

When a strong laser field ionizes atoms (or molecules), the electron wave packet that tunnels from the molecule moves under the influence of the strong field and can re-collide with its parent ion. The maximum re-collision electron kinetic energy depends on the laser wavelength. Timed by the laser field oscillations, the re-colliding electron interferes with the bound state wave function from w...

Amplitude and phase spectroscopy of attosecond electron wave packets

Synopsis: The interference of attosecond electron wavepackets, created by high harmonic and femtosecond laser pulses, is measured. The first electron wavepacket is generated by direct ionization of He, and the second one by the two step process of resonant excitation by the attosecond high harmonic pulse and subsequent ionization by the laser pulse. The amplitude and phase retrieved from the in...

Attosecond electron wave packet interferometry