Imaging an aligned polyatomic molecule with laser-induced electron diffraction

Laser-induced electron diffraction is an evolving tabletop method that aims to image ultrafast structural changes in gas-phase polyatomic molecules with sub-Ångström spatial and femtosecond temporal resolutions. Here we demonstrate the retrieval of multiple bond lengths from a polyatomic molecule by simultaneously measuring the C–C and C–H bond lengths in aligned acetylene. Our approach takes the method beyond the hitherto achieved imaging of simple diatomic molecules and is based on the combination of a 160 kHz mid-infrared few-cycle laser source with full three-dimensional electron–ion coincidence detection. Our technique provides an accessible and robust route towards imaging ultrafast processes in complex gas-phase molecules with atto- to femto-second temporal resolution. Laser-induced electron diffraction can provide structural information on gas-phase molecules with high spatial and temporal resolution. Going beyond previous diatomic cases, Pullen et al.apply this approach to acetylene and show that it can be used to measure bond lengths for polyatomic molecules.

• Publication year

  2015

• Venue

  Nature Communications

• Publication date

  2015-03-11

• Fields of study

  Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1038/ncomms8262arXiv 1503.03294PMID 26105804PMCID 4491169
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• The demonstrated technique provides an accessible and robust route toward imaging ultrafast processes in complex gas-phase molecules with atto- to femtosecond temporal resolution.

  Confidence 0.92

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• Laser-induced electron diffraction was extended from previously demonstrated diatomic targets to a polyatomic molecule.

  Confidence 0.95

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• A 160 kHz mid-infrared few-cycle laser source paired with full three-dimensional electron-ion coincidence detection underpinned the measurement.

  Confidence 0.96

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• Aligned acetylene enabled simultaneous retrieval of the C-C bond length and the C-H bond length by laser-induced electron diffraction.

  Confidence 0.98

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review

• 160 khz mid-infrared few-cycle laser source

  instrument, laser source

  The high-repetition-rate mid-infrared laser driver used to generate the ionizing pulses in the experiment.

  Aliases: 160 kHz mid-IR few-cycle laser source

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• aligned acetylene

  molecule, sample

  Acetylene molecules prepared in an aligned geometry for the diffraction measurement.

  Aliases: acetylene

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• c-c bond length

  structural parameter

  The internuclear distance between the two carbon atoms in acetylene that is targeted for retrieval.

  Aliases: C–C bond length

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• c-h bond length

  structural parameter

  The internuclear distance between carbon and hydrogen in acetylene that is targeted for retrieval.

  Aliases: C–H bond length

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• full three-dimensional electron-ion coincidence detection

  measurement technique, detector setup

  A detection setup that records electrons and ions together while preserving full three-dimensional momentum information.

  Aliases: 3D electron-ion coincidence detection

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• laser-induced electron diffraction

  method

  A tabletop technique that infers molecular structure from electrons generated by a strong laser field and then scattered by the molecule.

  Aliases: LIED

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review
• polyatomic molecule

  molecule class

  A molecule with more than two atoms, used here as the class of target beyond diatomic systems.

  Aliases: polyatomic molecules

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewAnonymous (b2adb6bfad) review

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