title: Time-resolved electron diffraction from selectively aligned molecules.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reckenthaeler
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Centurion
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fuss
authors.forename: Sergei A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Trushin
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krausz
authors.forename: Ernst E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Fill