Christian Hock

Slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging spectroscopy of cold negative ions

Anion slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging (SEVI) spectroscopy is a high-resolution variant of photoelectron spectroscopy used to study the electronic and geometric structure of atoms, molecules, and clusters. To benefit from the high resolution of SEVI when it is applied to molecular species, it is essential to reduce the internal temperature of the ions as much as possible. Here, we describe an experimental setup that combines a radio-frequency ion trap to store and cool ions with the high-resolution SEVI spectrometer. For C(5)(-), we demonstrate ion temperatures down to 10 ± 2 K after extraction from the trap, as measured by the relative populations of the two anion spin-orbit states. Vibrational hot bands and sequence bands are completely suppressed, and peak widths as narrow as 4 cm(-1) are seen due to cooling of the rotational degrees of freedom.

Probing the Angular Momentum Character of the Valence Orbitals of Free Sodium Nanoclusters

Although many properties of polyatomic metal clusters have been rationalized by an electron shell model resembling that used for free atoms, it remained unclear how reliable this analogy is with respect to the angular momentum eigenstate character of the electronic wave functions. We studied free size-selected negatively charged clusters of sodium atoms (Nan–) of approximately spherical shape (n = 19, 40, 55, 58, 147) by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy over a broad range of photon energies (1.5 to 5 electron volts). Highly anisotropic, state- and energy-dependent angular distributions emerged for all sizes. Well-defined classes of energy dependence related to the approximate angular momenta of the bound-state orbitals indicate that the overall character of the valence electron wave functions is not appreciably influenced by the interaction with the ion background. The measured distributions nevertheless deviate strongly from the predictions of single-electron models, hinting at a distinct role of correlated multielectron effects in the photoemission process.

Resonances in the Entrance Channel of the Elementary Chemical Reaction of Fluorine and Methane

Extending the fully quantum-state-resolved description of elementary chemical reactions beyond three or four atom systems is a crucial issue in fundamental chemical research. Reactions of methane with F, Cl, H or O are key examples that have been studied prominently. In particular, reactive resonances and nonintuitive mode-selective chemistry have been reported in experimental studies for the F+CH4 →HF+CH3 reaction. By investigating this reaction using transition-state spectroscopy, this joint theoretical and experimental study provides a clear picture of resonances in the F+CH4 system. This picture is deduced from high-resolution slow electron velocity-map imaging (SEVI) spectra and accurate full-dimensional (12D) quantum dynamics simulations in the picosecond regime.

Communication: Vibrational spectroscopy of atmospherically relevant acid cluster anions: bisulfate versus nitrate core structures.

Infrared multiple photon dissociation spectra for the smallest atmospherically relevant anions of sulfuric and nitric acid allow us to characterize structures and distinguish between clusters with a bisulfate or a nitrate core. We find that bisulfate is the main charge carrier for HSO(4)(-)·H(2)SO(4)·HNO(3) but not for NO(3)(-)·H(2)SO(4)·HNO(3). For the mixed dimer anion, we find evidence for the presence of two isomers: HSO(4)(-)·HNO(3) and NO(3)(-)·H(2)SO(4). Density functional calculations accompany the experimental results and provide support for these observations.

Ground and low-lying excited states of propadienylidene (H2C=C=C:) obtained by negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy

A joint experimental-theoretical study has been carried out on electronic states of propadienylidene (H(2)CCC), using results from negative-ion photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition to the previously characterized X(1)A(1) electronic state, spectroscopic features are observed that belong to five additional states: the low-lying ã(3)B(1) and b(3)A(2) states, as well as two excited singlets, Ã(1)A(2) and B(1)B(1), and a higher-lying triplet, c(3)A(1). Term energies (T(0), in cm(-1)) for the excited states obtained from the data are: 10,354±11 (ã(3)B(1)); 11,950±30 (b(3)A(2)); 20,943±11 (c(3)A(1)); and 13,677±11 (Ã(1)A(2)). Strong vibronic coupling affects the Ã(1)A(2) and B(1)B(1) states as well as ã(3)B(1) and b(3)A(2) and has profound effects on the spectrum. As a result, only a weak, broadened band is observed in the energy region where the origin of the B(1)B(1) state is expected. The assignments here are supported by high-level coupled-cluster calculations and spectral simulations based on a vibronic coupling Hamiltonian. A result of astrophysical interest is that the present study supports the idea that a broad absorption band found at 5450 Å by cavity ringdown spectroscopy (and coincident with a diffuse interstellar band) is carried by the B(1)B(1) state of H(2)CCC.

Slow Photoelectron Velocity-Map Imaging Spectroscopy of Cold Thiozonide (S3–)

We report high-resolution anion photoelectron spectra of thiozonide (S3(-)) acquired by slow electron velocity-map imaging (SEVI). The ions were cryogenically cooled within an ion trap before photodetachment. We measure an electron affinity of 2.3630(9) eV, resolving discrepancies in previously reported photoelectron spectra that resulted from the presence of vibrational hot bands. The SEVI spectrum shows well-resolved, extended vibrational progressions in the symmetric stretch and bending modes of S3, yielding accurate frequencies for both.

Photoelectron spectroscopy of the structure and dynamics of free size selected sodium clusters

Photoelectron spectroscopy on free cold size-selected sodium clusters has led to a detailed knowledge of their electronic and geometric structures in a very broad size range. Even more information about the electronic structure of the clusters has been obtained now by angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, which in principle allows one to gain information about the character of the electronic wavefunctions. The results demonstrate that sodium clusters have an electronic structure close to that of an finite size free electron gas, which makes them perfect model systems for the study of many particle dynamics. One such measurement is the time-resolved study of the cooling of the hot electron gas in the cluster, which allowed to determine the size dependence of the electron phonon coupling strength.

Photoelectron imaging spectroscopy of the small sodium cluster anions Na3(-), Na5(-), and Na7(-).

We present a photoelectron imaging study of the small sodium cluster anions Na3(-), Na5(-), and Na7(-) at photon energies in the visible and near UV range (hv = 1.64-4.28 eV). The resulting angular distributions are remarkably diverse and exhibit a strong dependence on photon energy; only for hv > 3.5 eV do they evolve into more uniform distributions peaked in the direction of the laser polarization. We show that different energy dependencies of the distributions are related to different angular-momentum characters of the bound states. The jellium s-like character of the lowest single-particle states results in photoelectron emission parallel to the laser polarization at all photon energies, whereas the p-like character of the higher states leads to essentially isotropic distributions at threshold and a strong variation with photon energy. Close to the detachment threshold, the asymptotic angular distributions are attributed to the approximate validity of Wigners law, which states that the spectrum is dominated by the partial wave with the smallest angular momentum. For the planar cluster Na5(-), we observe characteristically different behavior for electrons detached from the two in-plane p-like states, and we show how this correlates with the molecular symmetry. Our results indicate that a simple jellium-like description of the molecular orbitals is appropriate for the three-dimensional cluster Na7(-), despite the energetic splitting of the normally triply degenerate 1p level.