Europe: Ramsey-comb precision spectroscopy at vacuum ultraviolet wavelengths
Extending frequency-comb-based spectroscopy techniques to the vacuum and extreme ultraviolet spectral range enables frequency measurements of transitions in, e.g., heavier hydrogen-like systems and opens up new possibilities for tests of quantum electrodynamics and measurements of fundamental constants.
Eikema and coworkers, LaserLaB VU Amsterdam, Phys. Rev. A 101, 052509 (2020)
USA: Production of soft x-ray radiation up to 600 eV in pulsed gas jet
A new laser system was developed to generate coherent soft x-ray radiation up to 0.6 keV covering the entire water window, which is of high importance for bio-relevant applications. The obtained results open a wide range of applications in nonlinear optics, attosecond and strong-field physics, and remote sensing.
DiMauro, Agostini and coworkers, Ohio State University, Optica 7, 981 (2020)
China: Sub-optical-cycle electron dynamics in molecules
The sub-cycle bound- and free-electron dynamics and the Coulomb effect during the strong field ionization of molecules are studied by using a combination of phase-controlled two-color femtosecond laser fields and photoelectron imaging. The present method provides new ways to measure the electronic dynamics of molecules in strong field ionization.
Luo, Ding and coworkers, Jilin University, J. of Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 53, 08402 (2020)
Europe: Spatial separation of monomers from clusters
The spatial separation of monomers from its clusters in a molecular beam by an electrostatic deflector was demonstrated. The produced intense, cold, and pure 2-propanol monomer beam is well-suited for further investigations, such as diffractive imaging, chemical reaction and combustion studies.
Kuepper and coworkers, DESY and CFEL Hamburg, J. of Mol. Struct 1208, 127863 (2020)
USA: Laser desorption mass spectrometry of carbonaceous dust grains
Astronomical observations have found interstellar carbon in the form of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as carbonaceous dust, confirming its presence in both gaseous and solid phases. The goal of this study is to experimentally investigate low-temperature chemical pathways between these two phases in order to better understand the evolution of cosmic carbon.
Gavilan Marin, de Vries and coworkers, NASA and UC Santa Barbera, Astrophysical Journal 889, 101 (2020)
China: Dissociation dynamics of molecular ions
The dissociation dynamics of CO2+ has been studied in the 8-9 eV region by [1+1] two-photon excitation via vibronically selected intermediate states using a cryogenic ion trap velocity map imaging spectrometer.
Zhao and coworkers, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, J. Chem. Phys. 152, 134304 (2020)
