Sub-10-fs control of dissociation pathways in the hydrogen molecular ion with a few-pulse attosecond pulse train.

ABSTRACT: The control of the electronic states of a hydrogen molecular ion by photoexcitation is considerably difficult because it requires multiple sub-10?fs light pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) wavelength region with a sufficiently high intensity. Here, we demonstrate the control of the dissociation pathway originating from the 2p?u electronic state against that originating from the 2p?u electronic state in a hydrogen molecular ion by using a pair of attosecond pulse trains in the XUV wavelength region with a train-envelope duration of ?4?fs. The switching time from the peak to the valley in the oscillation caused by the vibrational wavepacket motion in the 1s?g ground electronic state is only 8?fs. This result can be classified as the fastest control, to the best of our knowledge, of a molecular reaction in the simplest molecule on the basis of the XUV-pump and XUV-probe scheme.

SUBMITTER: Nabekawa Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5494193 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature