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Physical Review Letters

The Photodetachment Microscope

Christophe Blondel, Christian Delsart, F. Dulieu

Published Oct 28, 1996• 185 citations
Publisher

Abstract

${\mathrm{Br}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ ions undergo photodetachment in the presence of an electric field. As a result of the photoexcitation process, the emitted electron's wave function extends to infinity, but inside a paraboloid elongated in the direction of the field. A position-sensitive detector set across the electron emission axis makes it possible to image the transverse factor of the atomic wave function. A ring pattern is observed, with a number of dark rings which is analogous to the first parabolic quantum number of the LoSurdo-Stark problem.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.77.3755

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s-wave photodetachment in a static electric field

N. D. Gibson, B. J. Davies, Daniel J. Larson

Photodetachment from negative ions in a static electric field has been studied using ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\mathrm{S}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$. These experiments were done with greater precision than previous studies and allow a quantitative comparison of data with theory. A 10-keV ion beam was sent through a region with fields of up to 1.5 kV/cm applied parallel to the beam velocity. A pulsed dye-laser beam, perpendicular to the ion beam, photoneutralized the ions. The relative cross sections were measured by detecting the resulting fast neutral atoms. Detachment below threshold and oscillations on the cross section above threshold were observed near the ${\mathrm{S}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ threshold at 16 269.5 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ and near the ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ threshold at 29 138.3 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. The phase of the oscillations in the data is in good agreement with predictions for s-wave photodetachment in a static electric field, but the amplitude of the oscillations is found to be slightly reduced.

Physical Review A•Mar 1, 1993•40 citations

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Photodetachment Microscopy experiment was first carried out in the presence of an electric field by Blondel et al in 1996 for Bromine negative ion. It measures the spatial distribution of ejected electrons on the detector screen which is a direct view of the spatial structure of the wave function of an atomic electron in the form of a ring pattern. From a semi-classical point of view, this ring pattern is formed because of the interference between two electron waves; one is direct while the other is reflected from an electric field. Following Blondel's photodetachment microscopy experiment, a formula that displays the Newton Rings is derived using a theoretical imaging technique or hydrogen negative ion near a plane interface. The interface means an elastic plane in the vicinity of the source of photoelectrons. The direct and reflected electron waves in this formula generate quantum interference in the form of Newton Rings. It is found that the number of rings increases as we increase the photon energy of the laser light. This finding is in accordance with the very well-known Einstein photoelectric effect which finally provides help to find the electron affinity of the hydrogen negative ion very accurately.

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We examine the dynamics of electrons photodetached from the H– ion in time-dependent electric and magnetic fields for the first time. The photodetachment microscopy patterns caused by a time-dependent gradient electric field and magnetic field have been analyzed in great detail based on the semiclassical theory. The interplay of the gradient electric field and magnetic field forces causes an intricate shape of the electron wave and multiple electron trajectories generated by a fixed energy point source can arrive at a given point on the microchannel-plate detector. The interference effects between these electron trajectories cause the oscillatory structures of the electron probability density and electron current distribution, and a set of concentric interference fringes are found at the detector. Our calculation results suggest that the photodetachment microscopy interference pattern on the detector can be adjusted by the electron energy, magnetic field strength, and position of the detector plane. Under certain conditions, the interference pattern in the electron current distribution might be seen on the detector plane localized at a macroscopic distance from the photodetachment source, which can be observed in an actual photodetachment microscopy experiment. Therefore, we make predictions that our work should serve as a guide for future photodetachment microscopy experiments in time-dependent electric and magnetic fields.

Canadian Journal of Physics•Dec 21, 2017•0 citations

Interference effects in photodetachment and photoionization of atoms in a homogeneous electric field

I. I. Fabrikant

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics•Dec 1, 1980•5 citations
Br\ensuremath−{\mathrm{Br}}^{\ensuremath{-}}Br\ensuremath− ions undergo photodetachment in the presence of an electric field. As a result of the photoexcitation process, the emitted electron's wave function extends to infinity, but inside a paraboloid elongated in the direction of the field. A position-sensitive detector set across the electron emission axis makes it possible to image the transverse factor of the atomic wave function. A ring pattern is observed, with a number of dark rings which is analogous to the first parabolic quantum number of the LoSurdo-Stark problem.
Photodetachment from negative ions in a static electric field has been studied using ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\mathrm{S}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$. These experiments were done with greater precision than previous studies and allow a quantitative comparison of data with theory. A 10-keV ion beam was sent through a region with fields of up to 1.5 kV/cm applied parallel to the beam velocity. A pulsed dye-laser beam, perpendicular to the ion beam, photoneutralized the ions. The relative cross sections were measured by detecting the resulting fast neutral atoms. Detachment below threshold and oscillations on the cross section above threshold were observed near the ${\mathrm{S}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ threshold at 16 269.5 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ and near the ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ threshold at 29 138.3 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. The phase of the oscillations in the data is in good agreement with predictions for s-wave photodetachment in a static electric field, but the amplitude of the oscillations is found to be slightly reduced.
A multichannel study of the photodetachment of a negative ion such as ${\mathrm{S}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ in the presence of a constant electric field is presented. The analysis is carried out as a series of frame transformations for the outgoing photoelectron. An earlier analysis in the absence of the external field is now augmented by the further transformations from spherical to cylindrical symmetry that are required. The interplay between the various thresholds due to fine structure in the negative ion and residual atom and the effects of the external field are analytically treated. The net effect is to eliminate the thresholds, to induce modulations in the detachment cross section, and to introduce field-assisted-tunneling contributions to the photodetachment. Numerical illustrations are provided. Our treatment closely parallels similar treatments of photoionization of neutral atoms in an electric field and of photodetachment in a magnetic field.
Photodetachment Microscopy experiment was first carried out in the presence of an electric field by Blondel et al in 1996 for Bromine negative ion. It measures the spatial distribution of ejected electrons on the detector screen which is a direct view of the spatial structure of the wave function of an atomic electron in the form of a ring pattern. From a semi-classical point of view, this ring pattern is formed because of the interference between two electron waves; one is direct while the other is reflected from an electric field. Following Blondel's photodetachment microscopy experiment, a formula that displays the Newton Rings is derived using a theoretical imaging technique or hydrogen negative ion near a plane interface. The interface means an elastic plane in the vicinity of the source of photoelectrons. The direct and reflected electron waves in this formula generate quantum interference in the form of Newton Rings. It is found that the number of rings increases as we increase the photon energy of the laser light. This finding is in accordance with the very well-known Einstein photoelectric effect which finally provides help to find the electron affinity of the hydrogen negative ion very accurately.
We examine the dynamics of electrons photodetached from the H– ion in time-dependent electric and magnetic fields for the first time. The photodetachment microscopy patterns caused by a time-dependent gradient electric field and magnetic field have been analyzed in great detail based on the semiclassical theory. The interplay of the gradient electric field and magnetic field forces causes an intricate shape of the electron wave and multiple electron trajectories generated by a fixed energy point source can arrive at a given point on the microchannel-plate detector. The interference effects between these electron trajectories cause the oscillatory structures of the electron probability density and electron current distribution, and a set of concentric interference fringes are found at the detector. Our calculation results suggest that the photodetachment microscopy interference pattern on the detector can be adjusted by the electron energy, magnetic field strength, and position of the detector plane. Under certain conditions, the interference pattern in the electron current distribution might be seen on the detector plane localized at a macroscopic distance from the photodetachment source, which can be observed in an actual photodetachment microscopy experiment. Therefore, we make predictions that our work should serve as a guide for future photodetachment microscopy experiments in time-dependent electric and magnetic fields.