Tracking nuclear wave-packet dynamics in molecular oxygen ions with few-cycle infrared laser pulses

Abstract

We have tracked nuclear wave-packet dynamics in doubly charged states of molecular oxygen using few-cycle infrared laser pulses. Bound and dissociating wave packets were launched and subsequently probed via a pair of 8-fs pulses of 790 nm radiation. Ionic fragments from the dissociating molecules were monitored by velocity-map imaging. Pronounced oscillations in the delay-dependent kinetic energy release spectra were observed. The occurrence of vibrational revivals permits us to identify the potential curves of the ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ dication which are most relevant to the molecular dynamics. These studies show the accessibility to the dynamics of such higher-charged molecules.