title: Tracing ultra-fast molecular dynamics in O_2^+ and N_2^+ with XUV–IR pump–probe experiments creator: Cörlin, Philipp subject: ddc-530 subject: 530 Physics description: Within this thesis, molecular dynamics of diatomic molecules is studied using the XUV–IR pump–probe technique. Here, a single extreme ultraviolet (XUV) photon created by high-harmonic generation ionizes the diatomic target molecule. The initiated dynamics is probed after a variable time delay by an ultrashort (12 fs) infrared (IR) laser pulse. The 3-dimensional momenta of all charged fragments are measured using a reaction microscope. In an experiment on O_2, a nuclear wave-packet oscillation is observed on the binding potential-energy curve (PEC) of the O_2^+(a ^4Π_u) electronic state. By comparing simulated results with experimental data, theoretically predicted PECs are tested. The experimental results are best reproduced if the wave packet is propagated on a Morse potential adjusted to the experimental data. This demonstrates the sensitivity of our method and its ability to predict accurate PECs from the measured wave-packet evolution. In an N2 experiment, the pump–probe delay dependent yield of stable N_2^+ is observed. It is interpreted as a sequential double ionization via a highly excited antibonding cationic state. The dissociation of the intermediate state is temporally resolved and can be interrupted by multi-photon ionization with the IR pulse within ≈ 15 fs after XUV ionization. date: 2015 type: Dissertation type: info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis type: NonPeerReviewed format: application/pdf identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/19644/1/PHD_thesis_philipp_coerlin_submitted.pdf identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00019644 identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-196449 identifier: Cörlin, Philipp (2015) Tracing ultra-fast molecular dynamics in O_2^+ and N_2^+ with XUV–IR pump–probe experiments. [Dissertation] relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/19644/ rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html language: eng