Barbara Merzuk

Attosecond time delays in small molecules

The generation of attosecond pulses based on high harmonic generation, allows the investigation of ultrafast electronic processes in atoms, molecules and condensed matter. In general, the process of photoionization is not instantaneous and a small, but measurable, time delay occurs between the absorption of a photon from an external field and the time at which the electron leaves the parent system. 

The development attosecond science enables direct measurements of electron dynamics with attosecond time resolution. Time delay provide important information on the electronic structure of matter and electron dynamics. 

In our group we combine attosecond measurement schemes such as RABBIT together with electron-ion coincidence spectroscopy (Reaction Microscope) and that can give access to photoionization time delays in the molecular frame.

Supervisor: Guiseppe Sansone