RESUMO
Superfluid helium nanodroplets are an ideal environment for the formation of metastable, self-organized dopant nanostructures. However, the presence of vortices often hinders their formation. Here, we demonstrate the generation of vortex-free helium nanodroplets and explore the size range in which they can be produced. From x-ray diffraction images of xenon-doped droplets, we identify that single compact structures, assigned to vortex-free aggregation, prevail up to 10^{8} atoms per droplet. This finding builds the basis for exploring the assembly of far-from-equilibrium nanostructures at low temperatures.
RESUMO
Magnesium atoms fully embedded in helium nanodroplets are exposed to two-color laser pulses, which trigger multiphoton above-threshold ionization (ATI). This allows exemplary study of the contribution of a dense, neutral, and finite medium on single electron propagation. The angular-resolved photoelectron spectra show striking differences with respect to results obtained on free atoms. Scattering of the individual Mg photoelectrons, when traversing the neutral helium environment, causes the angular distribution to become almost isotropic. Furthermore, the appearance of higher-energy electrons is observed, indicating the impact of the droplet on the concerted emission process. Phase-of-the-phase spectroscopy, however, reveals a marked loss in the 2ω-ω phase dependence of the electron signal. Taking into account sideband formation on a quantitative level, a Monte Carlo simulation which includes laser-assisted electron scattering can reproduce the experimental spectra and give insights into the strong-field-induced electron emission from disordered systems.
RESUMO
The charging dynamics of helium droplets driven by embedded xenon cluster ignition in strong laser fields is studied by comparing the abundances of helium and highly charged Xe ions to the electron signal. Femtosecond pump-probe experiments show that near the optimal delay for highly charged xenon the electron yield increases, especially at low energies. The electron signature can be traced back to the ionization of the helium environment by Xe seed electrons. Accompanying molecular dynamics simulations suggest a two-step ionization scenario in the Xe-He core-shell system. In contrast to xenon, the experimental signal of the helium ions, as well as low-energy electron emission show a deviating delay dependence, indicating differences in the temporal and spacial development of the charge state distribution of Xe core and He surrounding. From the pump-probe dependence of the electron emission, effective temperatures can be extracted, indicating the nanoplasma decay.
