Phys. Rev. A 107, 013103 (2023)

Single-photon hot-electron ionization of C₇₀

Åke Andersson¹, Luca Schio², Robert Richter³, Michele Alagia², Stefano Stranges^2,4, Piero Ferrari⁵, Klavs Hansen^6,7,*, and Vitali Zhaunerchyk^1,†

1 Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, 41296 Gothenburg, Sweden

2 IOM-CNR Tasc, SS-14, Km 163.5 Area Science Park, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy

3 Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste, Area Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy

4 Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Universitá Roma La Sapienza, Rome 00185, Italy

5 Quantum Solid-State Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

6 Lanzhou Center for Theoretical Physics, Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of Gansu Province and School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China

7 Center for Joint Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, School of Science, Tianjin University, 92 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China

*  KlavsHansen@tju.edu.cn

†  vitali.zhaunerchyk@physics.gu.se

Abstract

Gas phase C₇₀ molecules have been ionized with single photons of energies between 16 and 70 eV, and the electron spectra measured with velocity map imaging in coincidence with the ions. The doubly ionized and unfragmented species was present at photon energies of 22 eV and up, and triply charged ions were present from 55 eV. The low-kinetic-energy parts of the spectra are explained with thermal emission of transient hot electrons. We propose a generally applicable mechanism, named resonance ionization shadowing, for the creation of hot electrons by absorption of above-threshold energy photons.