title: Time-resolved relaxation dynamics of Hgn- (11 <or = n <or = 16,n = 18) clusters following intraband excitation at 1.5 eV.
abstract: Electron-nuclear relaxation dynamics are studied in Hg(n) (-) (11 <or= n <or= 16,n = 18) using time-resolved photoelectron imaging. The excess electron in the anion uniquely occupies the p band and is excited intraband by 1.53 eV pump photons; the subsequent dynamics are monitored by photodetachment at 3.06 eV and measurement of the photoelectron images as a function of pump-probe delay. The initially excited state decays on a time scale of approximately 10 ps, and subsequent relaxation dynamics reveal a smooth evolution of the photoelectron spectra towards lower electron kinetic energy over 50-100 ps. Qualitatively, the relaxation process is captured by a simple kinetic model assuming a series of radiationless transitions within a dense manifold of electronic states. All the clusters studied show similar dynamics with the exception of Hg(11) (-) in which the initially prepared state does not decay as quickly as the others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Jan R R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Verlet
authors.forename: Arthur E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bragg
authors.forename: Aster
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kammrath
authors.forename: Ori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cheshnovsky
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Neumark