Time-resolved electron diffraction from selectively aligned molecules.
We experimentally demonstrate ultrafast electron diffraction from transiently aligned molecules in the absence of external (aligning) fields. A sample of aligned molecules is generated through photodissociation with femtosecond laser pulses, and the diffraction pattern is captured by probing the sample with picosecond electron pulses shortly after dissociation-before molecular rotation causes the alignment to vanish. In our experiments the alignment decays with a time constant of 2.6+/-1.2 ps.
Reckenthaeler
Peter
P
Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
Centurion
Martin
M
Fuss
Werner
W
Trushin
Sergei A
SA
Krausz
Ferenc
F
Fill
Ernst E
EE