Related papers: An x-ray probe of laser-aligned molecules
A moderately intense $450$ fs laser pulse is used to create rotational wave packets in gas phase $\rm{I_2}$ molecules. The ensuing time-dependent alignment, measured by Coulomb explosion imaging with a delayed probe pulse, exhibits the…
We present a combined experimental and theoretical study on strong-field ionization of a three-dimensionally oriented asymmetric top molecule, benzonitrile (C$_7$H$_5$N), by circularly polarized, nonresonant femtosecond laser pulses. Prior…
The paper reports the results of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of proton beam acceleration at the interactions of a 130 fs laser pulse of intensity from the range of 10^21-10^23 W/cm^2, predicted for the Extreme Light…
High-harmonic spectroscopy driven by circularly-polarized laser pulses and their counter-rotating second harmonic is a new branch of attosecond science which currently lacks quantitative interpretations. We extend this technique to the…
Fixing molecules in space is a crucial step for the imaging of molecular structure and dynamics. Here, we demonstrate three-dimensional (3D) field-free alignment of the prototypical asymmetric top molecule indole using elliptically…
Laser Light Scattering (LLS) method, combined with a long-distance microscope was utilized to detect micrometer-sized particles on a smooth substrate. LLS was capable to detect individual particle release, shrink, or fragmentation during…
Molecules containing short-lived isotopes, namely radioactive molecules, are among the most promising candidates for probing new physics beyond the Standard Model, although their production and spectroscopic measurements remain technically…
High-quality and prebunched electron beams can produce coherent x-rays with high intensity and narrow bandwidth, which is essential for modern light sources. An all-optical scheme based on plasma-based acceleration to produce bright…
We measure molecular vibrations with femtometer precision using time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy. For a demonstration, a Raman process excites the A$_{1g}$ mode in gas-phase SF$_6$ molecules with an amplitude of $\approx50$ fm,…
A laser was designed and constructed with the goal of producing ultra-short pulses at a high repetition rate as needed for certain applications of multi-photon microscopy. With pure prism-based dispersion compensation repetition rates of up…
Attosecond pulses of coherent extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light are instrumental for investigating subatomic dynamics and can be produced using a free-electron laser (FEL). It has been suggested that an optical FEL, which employs a laser…
The propensity of molecules to spatially align along the polarization vector of intense, pulsed light fields is related to readily-accessible parameters (molecular polarizabilities, moment of inertia, peak intensity of the light and its…
We show that circularly polarized femtosecond laser pulses produce field-free alignment in linear and planar molecules. We study the rotational wavepacket evolution of O$_2$ and benzene created by circularly polarized light. For benzene, we…
We develop a mathematically simple yet accurate model for the single-pulse non-resonant impulsive alignment of thermal ensembles of linear molecules. We find that our molecular alignment model not only provides a simplification for…
We experimentally observe the action of multiple light pulses on the transverse motion of a continuous beam of fullerenes. The light potential is generated by non-resonant ultra-short laser pulses in perpendicular spatial overlap with the…
We demonstrate laser-plasma acceleration of high charge electron beams to the ~10 MeV scale using ultrashort laser pulses with as little energy as 10 mJ. This result is made possible by an extremely dense and thin hydrogen gas jet. Total…
In this work, an innovative scheme is proposed that exploits the response of magnetized plasmas to realize a refractive index exceeding unity for right circularly polarized (RCP) waves. Using two- and three-dimensional Particle-in-Cell…
Laser-electron beam collisions that aim to generate electron-positron pairs require laser intensities $I \gtrsim 10^{21} ~\textrm{W/cm}^2$, which can be obtained by focusing a 1-PW optical laser to a spot smaller than 10 $~\mu$m. Spatial…
Theory predicts that with an ultrashort and extremely bright coherent X-ray pulse, a single diffraction pattern may be recorded from a large macromolecule, a virus, or a cell before the sample explodes and turns into a plasma. Here we…
Understanding how laser pulses compress solids into high-energy-density states requires diagnostics that simultaneously resolve macroscopic geometry and nanometer-scale structure. Here we present a combined X-ray imaging (XRM) and…