Rapid proton transfer mediated by a strong laser field

Kinetic energy distributions of ejected from a polyatomic molecule, anthraquinone, subjected to 60 fs, 800 nm laser pulses of intensity between 0.2 and 4.0 x 10(14) W x cm(-2), reveal field-driven restructuring of the molecule prior to Coulomb explosion. Calculations demonstrate fast intramolecular...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2006-04, Vol.96 (16), p.163002-163002, Article 163002
Main Authors: Markevitch, Alexei N, Romanov, Dmitri A, Smith, Stanley M, Levis, Robert J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ANTHRAQUINONES
ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
DISSOCIATION
HYDROGEN IONS 1 PLUS
ISOMERIZATION
KINETIC ENERGY
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
PHOTOLYSIS
PHOTON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
POLARIZATION
POTENTIAL ENERGY
PROTONS
PULSES
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Summary:Kinetic energy distributions of ejected from a polyatomic molecule, anthraquinone, subjected to 60 fs, 800 nm laser pulses of intensity between 0.2 and 4.0 x 10(14) W x cm(-2), reveal field-driven restructuring of the molecule prior to Coulomb explosion. Calculations demonstrate fast intramolecular proton migration into a field-dressed metastable potential energy minimum. The proton migration occurs in the direction perpendicular to the polarization of the laser field. Rapid field-mediated isomerization is an important new phenomenon in coupling of polyatomic molecules with intense lasers.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.163002