Task 3: Study of the dynamics of chirality with XNCD and PECD

Once TR-PECD is observed on a test case molecule, we propose to use several generic cases to map the supplementary information provided by this emerging method onto specific molecular properties and chemical scenarios. To be more specific, in the following we propose to mainly use third harmonic of the Ti:Sapphire as a pump beam and an XUV probe; the latter being used to trigger one photon ionizations. We will use a selected single harmonic, in the 8-12 eV energy range. To firmly establish the regimes explored, we will alternatively vary the polarizations of the incoming pump and probe, testing all combinations of polarizations. In addition, the same systems will be studied beforehand in the multiphoton regime (TR-MPECD), which presents a much lower risk and will provide invaluable clues about their dynamics. For instance, the ability to change the combination of pump-probe polarizations will allow us to sort out (n+1) REMPI processes initiated by the pump from the targeted processes by which the species is pumped to an excited state by a single photon before being ionized.

Measurement of PECD with an HHG based source source. This data was taken in the CELIA Lab in Bordeaux, together with Yann Mairesse Valérie Blanchet and coworkers [Ferre2014]