Competition between multiphoton fluorescence and multiphoton ionization in NO

A nitrogen laser pumped tunable dye laser has been used to observe the three-photon ionization of NO through a two-photon resonance with the C²II state. Fluorescence is also observed from this state. The wavelength dependence of both signals have been measured. A reaction mechanism is postulated, which includes the initial two-photon excitation of the C²II state as the rate-limiting step. This mechanism predicts the observed second-order intensity dependence of the ionization signal and shows that the simple rate equation treatment is valid in this system.     

Evolution of a system undergoing multiphoton ionization

We describe an efficient method for solving the time-dependent Schroedinger equation for an atomic system subject to an oscillating radiation field. The method is based on solving the Schroedinger equation in momentum space, which obviates the need to impose artificial boundaries, and facilitates the extraction of the rapidly varying part of the wavefunction. We present results of a test application to a one-dimensional system with atomic potential ?exp(?|x|/a ₀).     

Four-photon resonant multiphoton ionization spectroscopy

Resonant multiphoton lonization (MPI) has been found to the red of the lowest energy three-photon resonant MPI band of butadiene. The signal arises from four-photon resonant MPI with an estimated cross section of 10^?115-2-10^?118 cm⁸ s³. The observed resonance is deduced to arise from a succession of one-photon allowed transitions.     

Femtosecond multiphoton ionization of pyrrole

The photoionization dynamics of pyrrole are investigated by using a photoelectron imaging method and a tunable femtosecond laser. Two-photon nonresonant ionization experiments in the wavelength range from 261 to 298 nm indicate that the cation and neutral ground states have similar structures. The main vibrational excitation in the cation ground state is the v(8) mode. Two-photon absorption at 406 nm projects neutral pyrrole into a mixed state comprising the 1B(2) valence and 3p Rydberg states. Ionization from this mixed state mainly results in the overtone excitation of vibrational mode v(8) and v(9) of the cation state. In the wavelength range from 336 to 364 nm, a mixed state comprising the 3d/4s Rydberg and the 4A(1) valence states are populated by the absorption of two photons through vibronic coupling. The partition ratio among these states varies with the excitation wavelength, resulting in dramatic changes in both kinetic energy distributions and angular distributions. As the laser wavelength becomes shorter, from 336 to 314 nm, higher excited states, 3B(2), 5A(1), 6A(1), 7B(1) and 4B(2), can be populated. Photoelectron angular distributions provide supplementary verification of assignments. Our experiments indicate that femtosecond multiphoton ionization and photoelectron imaging methods are powerful tools for investigating short-lived intermediated excited states, which cannot be detected in nanosecond experiments.     

Sequential multiphoton ionization spectroscopy: extension of a useful spectroscopic tool

An adaptation of multiphoton ionization spectroscopy is presented in which a single vibrational—rotational level of an excited electronic state is pumped using a dye laser, and a second, independently tunable dye laser beam induces multiphoton ionization from this excited level. Several advantages of this technique are demonstrated using molecular iodine.     

Two-color multiphoton ionization of diazabicyclooctane in a supersonic free jet

Two-color multiphoton ionization (MPI) spectroscopy has been applied for diazabicyclooctane (DABCO) in a supersonic free jet. The MPI spectra due to transitions from the various vibronic levels of the S₁ (3s Rydberg) state which were excited by the first laser revealed the high Rydberg states above the adiabatic ionization potential. The ionization process and the vibrational potential of the ion are discussed.     

Fragmentation patterns of selected ergot alkaloids by electrospray ionization tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry

Tall fescue toxicosis and other maladies in livestock result from the ingestion of vasoconstrictive ergot alkaloids produced by fungal endophytes associated symbiotically with the grass. In order to facilitate future analyses of grass extracts considered responsible for outbreak of related livestock diseases, we examined the electrospray ionization mass spectra of specific ergot alkaloids under conditions that permit protonation. Our purposes were both to record the spectra with interpretation of mechanisms of fragmentation and to derive commonalities that would allow the prediction of mass spectra of related compounds for which standards were not readily available. With [M + H](+) values in parentheses, water-insoluble lysergic acid peptide ergot derivatives ergovaline (m/z 534), ergotamine (m/z 582), ergocornine (m/z 562), ergocryptine (m/z 576) and ergocrystine (m/z 610) exhibited a consistent loss of water (-18 u) from the C-12' alpha-hydroxy functionality. Of this group, ergovaline and ergotamine generated an m/z 320 fragment deriving from cleavage of ring E amide and ether functions with retention of the peptide ring system methyl group. Ergocornine, ergocryptine and ergocrystine similarly formed an m/z 348 fragment with retention of isopropyl. These assignments were supported by the lack of similar fragments from the water-soluble ergot ergonovine, which lacks a peptide ring system. Clavine-type ergot alkaloids lysergic acid and lysergol lack any substituents beyond simple ones directly on the C-8 position and, similarly to ergonovine, lack significant fragments at m/z 268, 251 and 225 shared by the peptide ergot alkaloids.     

Wavelength-dependent fragmentation in resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry

Wavelength-dependent effects in the resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/fragmentation mass spectra of p-chloroaniline and diphenyl ether are presented. For both molecules, the formation of low-energy fragments can be discriminated against in favor of higher-energy fragments by using ‘low’-energy radiation (290 nm region) for ionization/fragmentation. The same low-energy fragments become dominant when higher-energy radiation (266 nm) is used. This unique behavior is explained in terms of the narrow distribution of parent ion internal energies created through resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/fragmentation and the competing kinetic processes accessed by the parent ion as it absorbs each successive photon.     

Resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization with circularly polarized light: chiral carbonyls

An introduction to the principle and possibilities of the new method of circular dichroism laser mass spectrometry is given and its state of development is reviewed. This method allows enantiosensitive, mass-selective probing of chiral molecules. It is based on the combination of resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization with circularly polarized light and specially modified time-of-flight mass spectrometry. As an example, application to carbonyls is presented.

吡啶气相分子的共振多光子电离谱

本工作观测了双光子能量在35180-36002cm^-^1范围内吡啶分子的共振多光子电离谱。对电子跃迁S~1(^1B~1)→S~0(^1A~l)的振动带做了归属, 首次在^1B~1态观察到7个新的振动模。讨论了N原子取代对分子结构及振动模的影响。     

Laser multiphoton ionization of aromatic molecules in nonpolar liquids

The laser multiphoton ionization (MPI) of fluoranthene in tetramethylsilane (TMS) and of azulene in n-tridecane, n-pentane, 2,2,4,4-tetramethylpentane, TMS and tetramethyltin is reported. Three distinct types of MPI mechanisms have been identified: two-photon ionization, stepwise three-photon ionization and mixed two- and three-photon ionization. The stepwise three-photon process consists of two-photon excitation, relaxation to a lower lying excited state with a lifetime comparable to the laser pulse duration (for azulene this state is the S₂ while for fluoranthene both the S₁ and S₂ states) and subsequent ionization with the absorption of a third photon. The ionization threshold of azulene in each liquid has been determined and found to vary linearly with the V₀ of the liquid.     

Resonant multiphoton ionization of xenon in intense sub-ps-laser pulses

We observe that resonant ionization plays a dominant role in the multiphoton ionization (MPI) of xenon at wavelengths around 600 nm, irrespective of the detuning of multiples of the photon energy from excited states of the undisturbed atom. Angular distributions of energy resolved photoelectrons allow to identify excited states which are strongly ac-Stark shifted in the intense laser field and which serve as intermediate resonances in MPI processes. Angular distributions measured at different wavelengths show that the ac-Stark shift of excited states can be larger than the photon energyhω. Our results support the model proposed by Freeman et al.     

Rate equation modelling of molecular multiphoton ionization dynamics

Selected aspects of kinetic rate equations are used as a framework for the modelling of molecular multiphoton ionization. Expressions are obtained for the ion yield where one and two intermediate resonances are present and the effects of saturation due to laser beam spatial and temporal structure are shown to be important in many molecular multiphoton experiments. A comparison is made between ionization and fluorescence yields and their spatial structure, following two-photon excitation, under identical experimental conditions. Radiationless processes are shown to be important in determining the ionization yield, which leads to the apparent selectivity of molecular multiphoton ionization experiments toward Rydberg states.     

Tagging multiphoton ionization events by two-dimensional photoelectron spectroscopy

Two-dimensional photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to supply process-specific labels to multiphoton ionization events. Employing these tags, the authors can construct excitation and photoelectron spectra along predefined excitation routes in the neutral manifold and ionization routes to the ionic manifold from one single two-dimensional photoelectron spectrum. These results offer a novel way to elucidate the vibronic and dynamic properties of excited and ionic states.     

Detection of SiF radicals with multiphoton ionization spectroscopy

We report the resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization spectrum of SiF between 430 and 492 nm. SiF radicals absorbed at least three photons to generate the observed m/z 47 SiF ions. Two-photon absorption bands from C″²Σ⁺ ← X ²Π, and C′²Π ← X ²Π, transitions were observed. An intense band from sequential one-photon transitions from the X ²Π_1/2(υ″ = 0) state through the A²Σ⁺ (υ′ = 0) and C″²Σ⁺ (υ′ = 1) states was observed.     

Model for atomic multiphoton ionization via Rydberg states

A model to treat multiphoton ionization through Rydberg states, taking into account blackbody radiation and other processes which lead to ionization with transfer of excitation among the closely-spaced highly excited Rydberg states is presented. The basic idea is to make the rate equations tractable by compacting all of the Rydberg states that experience physically similar processes into a single “bath” in the equations. The model is applied to sodium Rydberg atoms and the predictions show excellent agreement with experiments.     

Mechanism of resonant multiphoton ionization dissociation of p-xylene

The mechanism of resonant multiphoton ionization dissociation (RMPID) of p-xylene is investigated theoretically based both on the quantum-mechanical MO calculation of the geometrical structures and dissociation energies of the fragments and on the computation of laser power-dependent mass spectra of the fragments produced by RMPID. The geometries and dissociation energies are calculated by using both the MNDO method and the ab initio method with the 6-31G basis set. The computation of the mass spectra is carried out in the absorption multiple fragmentation model. It is shown theoretically that the two-independent reaction sequence mechanism proposed by Takenoshita et al. upon measuring the laser power dependence can explain semi-quantitatively the mass spectra of the RMPID. From comparison of the measured mass spectra with the calculated ones it is suggested that the absorption multiple fragmentation model originally based on the product phase space theory can be applied to the RMPID involving transition states in the course of reactions such as the retro-Diels-Alder reaction C₅H⁺₅ → C₃H⁺₃ + C₂H₂ by taking into account the corresponding activation energy instead of the dissociation energy.