CAREER: Investigation of Attosecond and Femtosecond Dynamics in Atoms and Molecules using XUV+IR Spectroscopy

该奖项将允许在亚利桑那大学物理系建立一个强大的超快原子、分子和光学科学领域的研究和教育发展计划。该计划将在阿秒精度实验中同时使用IR和XUV脉冲来研究原子和分子对强瞬变电场的响应。这将涉及使用阿秒/飞秒分辨的泵浦-探测实验测量和控制高激发分子中的电子和核动力学。超短XUV激发提供了直接进入一个有趣和具有挑战性的区域的途径，在该区域中，原子和分子的能量远离它们的基态构型。利用阿秒时间分辨的XUV红外实验，我们可以测量强电场对原子系统中激发束束态波包的影响。这些测量将为在阿秒时间尺度上控制电子动力学提供新的机会。在分子中，XUV激发与快速内价电子现象、关联的双电子过程以及强烈相互依赖的电子和核动力学有关。由于探测固有的低截面光碎裂通道的光谱困难；高激发系统中势能面流形的复杂性；以及缺乏高效、可调谐的飞秒/阿秒XUV光子源，对这种情况下的时间分辨动力学的了解非常有限。该项目旨在利用尖端研究工具，如定制的XUV脉冲和高效的照片碎片成像方案来研究这一制度。更广泛的方面包括职业教育目标，将增加拉美裔学生在物理研究中的代表性；直接让本科生参与超快科学研究；并导致互动学习计划的开发和基于网络的传播。这种培训和推广，以及前沿研究，将有助于使我们的国家在阿秒和飞秒科学领域更具竞争力。这项教育计划针对的是代表人数不足的群体的学生。通过与一家以西班牙裔为主的机构(UTEP)的合作，拉美裔学生将获得实践经验和在尖端研究领域的重要接触。在研究生和本科生的参与下，该教育方案导致了光学/AMO互动学习方案的开发，以及一种基于网络的出版和传播方法，其方式将对更广泛的社区有用。该计划的研究衍生产品将以新见解和发现的形式出现，这将影响其他相关领域，如量子光学、理论原子和分子物理、相干控制、大气化学、化学成像和辐射化学。

This award will allow for the establishment of a strong research and educational development program in the field of ultrafast atomic, molecular, and optical sciences in the Department of Physics at the University of Arizona. The program will study atomic and molecular response to strong transient electric fields with simultaneous use of IR and XUV pulses in attosecond precision experiments. This will involve measurement and control of electronic and nuclear dynamics in highly-excited molecules using attosecond/femtosecond resolved pump-probe experiments. Ultrashort XUV excitation provides direct access to an interesting and challenging regime, where atoms and molecules are energetically far from their ground-state configuration. Using attosecond time-resolved XUV+IR experiments, we can measure the effect of strong electric fields on excited bound-state wavepackets in atomic systems. These measurements will offer new opportunities for the control of electron dynamics on attosecond time-scales. In molecules, the XUV excitation is associated with fast inner-valence electron phenomenon, correlated two-electron processes, and strongly interdependent electronic and nuclear dynamics. The understanding of time-resolved dynamics in this regime has been very limited due to the spectroscopic difficulties in probing inherently low cross-section photo-fragmentation channels; the complexity of the potential energy surface manifold in highly-excited systems; and the paucity of efficient, tunable, femtosecond/attosecond XUV photon sources. This project aims at investigating this regime by utilizing cutting-edge research tools, such as, tailored XUV pulses, and efficient photo-fragment imaging schemes.The broader aspects include the CAREER educational objectives that will increase the representation of Hispanic students in physics research; directly involve undergraduate students in ultrafast science research; and lead to the development and web-based dissemination of interactive learning programs. This training and outreach, along with the forefront research will help make our nation more competitive in the field of attosecond and femtosecond science. The educational plan targets students from an under-represented group. In collaboration with a primarily Hispanic institution (UTEP), Hispanic students will obtain hands-on experience and vital exposure in a cutting edge field of research. With the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students, the educational program leads to the development of interactive learning programs in optics/AMO, along with a method for web-based publication and dissemination, in a manner that will be useful to wider community. The research spin-offs of this program will be in the form of new insights and discoveries, which will impact other related fields such as quantum optics, theoretical atomic and molecular physics, coherent control, atmospheric chemistry, chemical imaging and radiation chemistry.