Directly imaging excited state-resolved transient structures of water induced by valence and inner-shell ionisation

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41204-x
• Publication Date: 2023-09-05T14:03:10Z
• Authors: Zhenzhen Wang; Xiaoqing Hu; Xiaorui Xue; Shengpeng Zhou; Xiaokai Li; Yizhang Yang; Jiaqi Zhou; Zheng Shu; Banchi Zhao; Xitao Yu; Maomao Gong; Zhenpeng Wang; Pan Ma; Yong Wu; Xiangjun Chen; Jianguo Wang; Xueguang Ren; Chuncheng Wang; Dajun Ding
• Keywords: Science; Q; 7. Clean energy; Article

Abstract Real-time imaging of transient structure the electronic excited state is fundamentally critical to understand and control ultrafast molecular dynamics. The ejection electrons from inner-shell valence level can lead population different states, which trigger manifold relaxation processes, however, accurate such state-dependent structural evolutions still lacking. Here, by developing laser-induced electron recollision-assisted Coulomb explosion approach dynamics simulations, snapshots vibrational wave-packets (A) ground states (X) D 2 O + are captured simultaneously with sub-10 picometre few-femtosecond precision. We visualise that θ DOD R OD significantly increased around 50 ∘ 10 pm, respectively, within approximately 8 fs after initial ionisation for A state, further extends 9 pm along dication in present condition. Moreover, stretch more than 5 autoionisation dication. accuracies results limited simulations. These provide comprehensive information studying fascinating water, pave way towards make a movie state-resolved light-induced chemical reaction.