Abstract
When an excited atom is embedded into an environment, novel relaxation pathways can emerge that are absent for isolated atoms. A well-known example is interatomic Coulombic decay, where an excited atom relaxes by transferring its excess energy to another atom in the environment, leading to its ionization. Such processes have been observed in clusters ionized by extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray lasers. Here, we report on a correlated electronic decay process that occurs following nanoplasma formation and Rydberg atom generation in the ionization of clusters by intense, non-resonant infrared laser fields. Relaxation of the Rydberg states and transfer of the available electronic energy to adjacent electrons in Rydberg states or quasifree electrons in the expanding nanoplasma leaves a distinct signature in the electron kinetic energy spectrum. These so far unobserved electron-correlation-driven energy transfer processes may play a significant role in the response of any nano-scale system to intense laser light.
Highlights
When an excited atom is embedded into an environment, novel relaxation pathways can emerge that are absent for isolated atoms
In clusters exposed to intense laser fields, excited atoms can be formed via direct laser excitation[19,22], electron–ion recombination[4,5,8,9,10] or electron impact excitation[23,24] (Fig. 1a–c)
Recent experiments have demonstrated that electron–ion recombination is the dominant mechanism for Rydberg atom formation in clusters exposed to intense laser pulses[8,9,10]
Summary
When an excited atom is embedded into an environment, novel relaxation pathways can emerge that are absent for isolated atoms. The observed decay channel emerges when these excited atoms relax to their ground state and donate the available energy to a second nearby electron (either quasifree, or itself weakly bound to an atomic core) that can escape the cluster potential. In this respect our mechanism includes the process of interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD)[11,12,13] and one of its variants involving excited states as discussed in refs 14–19. It is expected to be important in nano-scale systems interacting with laser pulses in different spectral regions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
