Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Imaging An Aligned Polyatomic Molecule With Laser-Induced Electron Diffraction, Michael G. Pullen, Benjamin Wolter, Anh-Thu Le, Matthias Baudisch, Michael Hemmer, Arne Senftleben, Claus Dieter Schroeter, Joachim Ullrich, Robert Moshammer, C. D. Lin, Jens Biegert

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

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 160kHz 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 …