Photodetachment of a homo-nuclear diatomic molecular negative ion with arbitrary molecular axis orientation

Abstract

The photodetachment of a homo-nuclear diatomic molecular negative ion with arbitrary molecular axis orientation has been studied using the two-centre model. An analytic formula is presented for the photodetached electron flux distribution at a given observation plane. This formula is universal, applicable to all homo-nuclear diatomic molecular negative ions. Taking as an example, we calculate the electron flux distribution and photodetachment cross section for different molecular axis orientations. The results show that the molecular axis orientation has a great influence on the photodetachment of the diatomic molecular negative ion. The oscillation of the electron flux distribution is largest for the molecular axis perpendicular to the laser light polarized along the z direction and is smallest for the parallel molecular axis orientation. Our studies suggest that we can control the photodetachment process of the molecular negative ion by changing the molecular axis orientation. Our research will be helpful for the theoretical and experimental study of the molecular photodetachment microscope.

Keywords:

• photodetachment
• two-centre model
• molecular negative ion
• electron flux

Acknowledgements

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant No. 10604045, the University Science & Technology Planning Program of Shandong Province under grant No. J09LA02 and the Discipline Construction Fund of Ludong University.