Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization spectra of molecules and molecular fragments. Annual technical report

Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization (REMPI) utilizes pulsed laser radiation to prepare a molecule in an excited state via absorption of one or more photons and to subsequently ionize that state before it can decay. A remarkable feature of REMPI, and one that is very basic to many of its applications and uses, is that the very narrow bandwidth of the {open_quotes}pump{close_quotes} laser makes it possible to select a specific vibrational and rotational level in the initial state and to prepare the excited state of interest in a single vibrational and rotational level. Thus, by suitable choice of the photon pump transition, it is possible to selectively ionize a species of interest without ionizing any other species that might be present. This feature makes REMPI one of the most powerful tools for ultrasensitive detection of species. With REMPI it is also possible to study the photoionization dynamics of a single rotational level of an excited electronic state. Such state-resolved studies can certainly be expected to provide significant insight into the underlying dynamics of molecular photoionization