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The Journal of Physical Chemistry A

Kinematic Slowing and Electrostatic Guiding of KBr Molecules Formed by the Reactive Collision Process: K + HBr → KBr + H

Ningning Liu, H. J. Loesch

Published Dec 16, 2009• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

We have generated a beam of translationally cold KBr molecules formed by exoergic reactive collisions in counterpropagating beams of K atoms and HBr molecules. The method relies on the extreme mass ratio of the products and the proper choice of the beam velocities (Liu, N.-N.; Loesch, H. J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2007, 98, 10300). Here, we report the results of experiments on guiding the slow molecules from the site of their creation to the detector by a linear electrostatic quadrupole field. The device enhances the total intensity by a factor of 2.3 and the intensity at 14.2 m/s (1.4K) by an order of magnitude. The density velocity distributions, deduced directly from the observed time-of-flight profiles, peak at 20 m/s (2.9K). A numerical simulation of the guiding efficiency indicates that the polarization of the nascent molecules is first altered by a sudden change of the quantization axis from parallel to the initial relative velocity to parallel to the fringing field and thereafter follows adiabatically the local field as quantization axis. Drastic differences between the velocity and rotational state distributions of the molecules entering and leaving the energized quadrupole field are predicted. The counterpropagating beams can be used to continuously load an electrostatic trap. The equilibrium density of confined molecules is estimated to 1 x 10(7) cm(-3).

DOI
10.1021/jp909420n

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We report the generation of a beam of slow (translationally cold) KBr molecules formed by exoergic reactive collisions in counterpropagating beams of K atoms and HBr molecules. The intensity of the slow beam is estimated to $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\text{ }{\mathrm{sr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The velocity distribution (density) peaks at $42.5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$ corresponding to a formal temperature of 13 K. About 7% of the molecules move at velocities between 14.2 and $20\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$ and an estimated fraction of 7% is slower than $14.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}$.

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We have generated a beam of translationally cold KBr molecules formed by exoergic reactive collisions in counterpropagating beams of K atoms and HBr molecules. The method relies on the extreme mass ratio of the products and the proper choice of the beam velocities (Liu, N.-N.; Loesch, H. J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2007, 98, 10300). Here, we report the results of experiments on guiding the slow molecules from the site of their creation to the detector by a linear electrostatic quadrupole field. The device enhances the total intensity by a factor of 2.3 and the intensity at 14.2 m/s (1.4K) by an order of magnitude. The density velocity distributions, deduced directly from the observed time-of-flight profiles, peak at 20 m/s (2.9K). A numerical simulation of the guiding efficiency indicates that the polarization of the nascent molecules is first altered by a sudden change of the quantization axis from parallel to the initial relative velocity to parallel to the fringing field and thereafter follows adiabatically the local field as quantization axis. Drastic differences between the velocity and rotational state distributions of the molecules entering and leaving the energized quadrupole field are predicted. The counterpropagating beams can be used to continuously load an electrostatic trap. The equilibrium density of confined molecules is estimated to 1 x 10(7) cm(-3).
We report the generation of a beam of slow (translationally cold) KBr molecules formed by exoergic reactive collisions in counterpropagating beams of K atoms and HBr molecules. The intensity of the slow beam is estimated to $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\text{ }{\mathrm{sr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The velocity distribution (density) peaks at 42.5  m/s42.5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}42.5  m/s corresponding to a formal temperature of 13 K. About 7% of the molecules move at velocities between 14.2 and 20  m/s20\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}20  m/s and an estimated fraction of 7% is slower than 14.2  m/s14.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{s}14.2  m/s.
Slow molecules are efficiently extracted from a thermal reservoir by exploiting the interaction between polar molecules and the field provided by an electrostatic quadrupole guide. Electrostatic velocity filtering is widely applicable, which is demonstrated by producing guided beams of ammonia ND3, formaldehyde H2CO, and the water isotopologs H2O, D2O, and HDO. Ultraviolet depletion spectroscopy in a cold guided beam of formaldehyde makes the population in individual rotational states visible and testifies their key role in velocity filtering. Enhanced Rayleigh scattering into an optical cavity is investigated as an alternative non-destructive detection method for cold molecules. For various room-temperature gases, the observed enhancement is well described by interference of electromagnetic fields scattered into the resonator by a classical driven dipole oscillator.
Intense beams of cold and slow molecules are produced by supersonic expansion out of a rapidly rotating nozzle, as first demonstrated by M. Gupta and D. Herschbach [J. Phys. Chem. A 103, 10670 (1999); 105, 1626 (2001)]. An improved setup is presented that is able to accelerate or decelerate cold atomic and molecular beams by up to 500 m/s. Technical improvements are discussed and beam parameters are characterized by detailed analysis of time-of-flight density distributions. The possibility of combining this beam source with electrostatic fields for guiding polar molecules is demonstrated.
This thesis describes the development and demonstration of techniques for the study of ion-neutral reactive collisions at low temperatures conducted using two unique experimental apparatuses comprising radio-frequency Paul traps. One apparatus combines a Stark decelerator with a Paul trap; the other apparatus features a buffer gas cell interfaced with a Paul trap through an electrostatic quadrupole guide. A novel ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been introduced and characterised. This apparatus is designed to detect the ion products of reactive collisions at low temperatures (< 10 K). This detection approach affords excellent detection efficiency and is broadly applicable to all ion-molecule reactions that one could study within a linear Paul ion trap. A proof-of-principle reaction between xenon ions and neutral ammonia isotopologues is examined to test the performance of the new detection set-up. With the goal of achieving full control over the reaction parameters, the amount of alignment retained by rotationally and translationally cold ammonia molecules exiting the electrostatic guide has been examined using (2 + 1) REMPI detection of the molecules with varying linear polarisation. Simulations suggests how modifications to the current setup will enable full orientation of the cooled molecules reaching the detection region to be achieved. Experiments on cold charge exchange reactions between sympathetically-cooled Xe+ and room temperature ammonia (NH3 and ND3) have been conducted within lasercooled Ca+ Coulomb crystals in a linear Paul ion trap. There is ongoing work to ascertain any difference in reactivity between NH3 and ND3 as the neutral reactant species. Preliminary data are discussed at a qualitative level, with the prospect of observing any isotope effect in this charge transfer process. Charge exchange reaction experiments using cold state-selected ammonia are discussed with the goal of establishing reaction rate constants at different collision energies.
This thesis describes the combination of two sources of cold atomic or molecular species which can be used to study a wide range of ion-molecule reactions. The challenges in forming these species and in determining the fate of reactive events are explored throughout. Reactions occur in a volume within a radio-frequency ion trap, in which ions have previously been cooled to sub-Kelvin temperatures. Ions are laser-cooled, with migration of ions slowed sufficiently to form a quasi-crystalline spheroidal structure, deemed a Coulomb crystal. Fluorescence emitted as a consequence of laser-cooling is detected; the subsequent fluorescence profiles are used to determine the number of ions in the crystal and, in combination with complementary simulations, the temperature of these ions. Motion imparted by trapping fields can be substantial and simulations are required to accurately determine collision energies. A beam of decelerated molecules is aimed at this stationary ion target. An ammonia seeded molecular beam enters a Stark decelerator, based on the original design of Meijer and co-workers. The decelerator uses time-varying electric fields to remove kinetic energy from the molecules, which exit at speeds down to 35 m/s. A fast-opening shutter and focussing elements are subsequently used to maximise the decelerated flux in the reaction volume while minimising undecelerated molecule transmission. Substantial fluxes of decelerated ammonia are obtained with narrow velocity distributions to provide a suitable source of reactant molecules. Combination of these two techniques permits studies of reactions between atomic ions and decelerated molecules that can be entirely state-specific. Changes in the Coulomb crystal fluorescence profile denote changes in the ion identities, the rate of these changes can be used to obtain rate constants. Determination of rate constants is even possible despite the fact that neither reactant nor product ions are directly observed. This work has studied reactions between sympathetically cooled Xe+ ions and guided ND3 and has obtained data consistent with prior studies. Determination of reactive events is complicated if ion identities can change without affecting the fluorescence profile, or if multiple reaction channels are possible. A range of spectroscopic techniques are discussed and considered in regards to determining rate constants and product identities. Pulsed axial excitation of trapped ions can follow rapid changes in average ion weights and subtle changes for small crystals. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry is also demonstrated using the trapping electrodes and is suitable for discrimination of ions formed within the trap.
A promising new approach for studying cold ion-molecule chemical reactions is the combination of laser- or sympathetically-cooled trapped ions and slow-moving molecules from a cold molecule source, such as a quadrupole velocity selector or a Stark decelerator. Previous reaction studies using trapped atomic ions and slow molecules from a quadrupole velocity selector were able to reach average collision energies as low as 1 K. However, the guided molecules had an approximately room temperature rotational energy distribution, so the reactions studied were not truly cold. Thus, a new molecular source for producing translationally and rotationally cold molecules utilizing buffer gas cooling and quadrupole velocity selection was constructed by K. Twyman and characterized for use in cold reaction studies. This new source of cold molecules is referred to as the buffer gas guide. A new ion trap has been designed and built for use with the existing buffer gas guide. The new ion trap apparatus is compact and mechanically compatible with this new guide. It uses a linear Paul ion trap with cylindrical electrodes to trap ions. Two optical axes (one axial and one radial) enable efficient cooling of small ion crystals. A field-free time-of-flight tube and ion detection assembly are also incorporated into the apparatus. A new technique for determining the mass and quantity of trapped ions has also been developed, termed digital ion trap mass spectrometry. The new technique uses a digital RF waveform to trap ions before ejecting the ions radially from the trap using an ejection pulse applied to the trap electrodes. The ions are then detected after free flight along a time-of-flight tube. This technique was characterized by ejecting crystals of various sizes and compositions: Ca+ only, Ca+/CaF +, Ca+/CaOH +/CaOD+, and Ca+/NH +3 /NH +4 /H3O+. A linear relationship between the number of ions ejected (determined by comparing experimental and simulated crystal images) and the integral of the time-of-flight peak was observed for Ca+ and Ca+/CaF +. All mass peaks were resolved. Simulations of the trapped ions and their trajectories through the time-of-flight tube were also performed, and excellent agreement between the simulated and experimental mass resolution was observed. Progress towards combining the buffer gas guide with the previously independent ion trap is also presented. It is anticipated that the combined buffer gas guide ion trap apparatus will enable the study of ion-molecule reactions at low temperatures with translationally and rotationally cold molecules. It is anticipated that the new digital ion trap mass spectrometry technique will simplify the study of reactions when multiple product ions whose masses are separated by only 1 AMU are formed. A new ion trap has been designed and built for use with the existing buffer gas guide. The new ion trap apparatus is compact and mechanically compatible with this new guide. It uses a linear Paul ion trap with cylindrical electrodes to trap ions. Two optical axes (one axial and one radial) enable efficient cooling of small ion crystals. A field-free time-of-flight tube and ion detection assembly are also incorporated into the apparatus. A new technique for determining the mass and quantity of trapped ions has also been developed, termed digital ion trap mass spectrometry. The new technique uses a digital RF waveform to trap ions before ejecting the ions radially from the trap using an ejection pulse applied to the trap electrodes. The ions are then detected after free flight along a time-of-flight tube. This technique was characterized by ejecting crystals of various sizes and compositions: Ca+ only, Ca+/CaF+, Ca+/CaOH+/CaOD+, and Ca+/NH+3/NH+4/H3O+. A linear relationship between the number of ions ejected (determined by comparing experimental and simulated crystal images) and the integral of the time-of-flight peak was observed for Ca+ and Ca+/CaF+. All mass peaks were resolved. Simulations of the trapped ions and their trajectories through the time-of-flight tube were also performed, and excellent agreement between the simulated and experimental mass resolution was observed. Progress towards combining the buffer gas guide with the previously independent ion trap is also presented. It is anticipated that the combined buffer gas guide ion trap apparatus will enable the study of ion-molecule reactions at low temperatures with translationally and rotationally cold molecules. It is anticipated that the new digital ion trap mass spectrometry technique will simplify the study of reactions when multiple product ions whose masses are separated by only 1 AMU are formed.