Multiple ionization and Coulomb explosion of mercury clusters in femtosecond laser fields

Abstract

We report on studies of multiple ionization and fragmentation of free Hg n (n ≤ 80) clusters in the femtosecond time domain at wavelengths ranging from 255 nm to 800 nm. After excitation by single laser pulses of an intensity of 5 * 10 11 W/cm 2 we observe prompt formation of multiply charged Hg n clusters. The Hg n cluster size distribution observed up to n ≈ 80 shows in additon to singly charged also doubly and triply charged clusters with a surprisingly high amount of doubly charged clusters. The measured cluster size distribution is nearly independent of laser wavelengths. For higher laser intensities (2 * 10 12 W/cm 2 ) we observe multiply charged mercury atoms up to Hg 5+ . At 10 13 W/cm 2 molecules and clusters eventually disappear due to Coulomb explosion and complete Fragmentation. Only atomic ions, singly and multiply charged, with high kinetic energies are then observed.

Characteristics of triboelectrification on dielectric surfaces contacted with a liquid metal in different gases

“…During a separation, a very thin layer of liquid metal cation or possibly atomic species could form on the polymer's surface after contact, and the previous studies show that there exist doubly charged mercury cluster ions (Hg n 2þ , n ¼ 1-10). 33 Therefore, it is the charged mercury cluster ions that make all the polymers positively charged In summary, we investigated the triboelectrification by changing the liquid-metal based triboelectric nanogenerator gas conditions. It is found that the gas condition can not only affect the device's output performance but also the charge separation behavior.…”

Relaxation Dynamics of Electronically Excited Nanoscale Metal−Carbon Complexes: Vanadium−Carbon Clusters

“…Moreover, such experiments provide insight into the mechanisms of electronic relaxation into bands of various energies. Femtosecond photoionization and photofragmentation studies of large gas-phase sodium and mercury clusters and pump−probe investigations of metal clusters supported on surfaces ,, have also been reported.…”