Molecular Frame Photoemission： Probe of the Photoionization Dynamics for Molecules in the Gas Phase

Molecular frame photoemission is a very sensitive probe of the photoionization （PI） dynamics of molecules. This paper reports a comparative study of non-resonant and resonant photoionization of D2 induced by VUV circularly polarized synchrotron radiation at SOLEIL at the level of the molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions （MFPADs）. We use the vector correlation method which combines imaging and time-of-flight resolved electron-ion coincidence techniques, and a generalized formalism for the expression of the Ⅰ（χ, θe, Фe） MFPADs, where χ is the orientation of the molecular axis with respect to the light quantization axis and （θe, Фe） the electron emission direction in the molecular frame. Selected MFPADs for a molecule aligned parallel or perpendicular to linearly polarized light, or perpendicular to the propagation axis of circularly polarized light, are presented for dissociative photoionization （DPI） of D2 at two photon excitation energies, hv=19 eV, where direct PI is the only channel opened, and hv=32.5 eV, i.e. in the region involving resonant excitation of Q1 and Q2 doubly excited state series. We discuss in particular the properties of the circular dichroism characterizing photoemission in the molecular frame for direct and resonant PI. In the latter case, a remarkable behavior is observed which may be attributed to the interference occurring between undistinguishable autoionization decay channels.

Molecular Frame Photoemission: Probe of the Photoionization Dynamics for Molecules in the Gas Phase

Molecular frame photoemission is a very sensitive probe of the photoionization (PI) dynamics of molecules. This paper reports a comparative study of non-resonant and resonant photoionization of D2 induced by VUV circularly polarized synchrotron radiation at SOLEIL at the level of the molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions (MFPADs). We use the vector correlation method which combines imaging and time-of-flight resolved electron-ion coincidence techniques, and a generalized formalism for the expression of the I(χ,θe, φe) MFPADs, whereχis the orientation of the molecular axis with respect to the light quantization axis and (θe,φe) the electron emission direction in the molecular frame. Selected MFPADs for a molecule aligned parallel or perpendicular to linearly polarized light, or perpendicular to the propagation axis of circularly polarized light, are presented for dissociative photoionization (DPI) of D2 at two photon excitation energies, hⅴ=19 eV, where direct PI is the only channel opened, and hⅴ=32.5 eV, i.e. in the region involving resonant excitation of Q1 and Q2 doubly excited state series. We discuss in particular the properties of the circular dichroism characterizing photoemission in the molecular frame for direct and resonant PI. In the latter case, a remarkable behavior is observed which may be attributed to the interference occurring between undistinguishable autoionization decay channels.