The project explores the dynamics of neutral and ionic species dissolved into liquid helium nanodroplets. These droplets consisting of several thousands of helium atoms are superfluid and highly quantum systems. The questions we would like to address are related to the influence this remarkable environment has on the dynamics of embedded species and, vice versa, the influence of these species on the environment.
The experiments are carried out in an especially for this purpose constructed molecular beam machine, see the schematic overview below. The helium droplets are being formed by expanding helium gas at high pressure into a vacuum chamber through a small nozzle cooled down to cryogenic temperatures (6-20 K) by a closed cycle refrigerator. The beam of droplets enters a second vacuum chamber that can be flooded with another gas, typically at a pressure of 10-6 mbar. Upon colliding with a molecule the droplets pickup the molecule and continue their flight into the third vacuum chamber. The doping of the droplets by foreign species is checked by a quadrupole mass spectrometer located at the end of this vacuum chamber. The droplet beam is generally crossed by two laser beams. While the first laser beam excites the system, the second laser beam probes the effect of the excitation. Ions produced by second laser are accelerated towards a position sensitive detector by a specially designed electrode setup placed around the excitation region. By analyzing the position of the ion impacts on the detector the velocity distribution of the ions can be reconstructed.
The techniques described above have been applied for the investigation of a wide variety of systems and processes. These range from the photodissociation and photoionization of molecules, to exotic Rydberg states of helium droplets, to IR spectroscopy of molecular ions. Details of this research can be found in our publications.
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2024
Journal Articles
Flash Melting Amorphous Ice
The Journal of Chemical Physics
2024-05-09
Vol. 160 , num. 184502.DOI : 10.1063/5.0202948
Shaped Laser Pulses for Microsecond Time-Resolved Cryo-EM: Outrunning Crystallization during Flash Melting
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
2024-04-11
num. 15, p. 4244−4248.DOI : 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00315
2023
Journal Articles
Fast viral dynamics revealed by microsecond time-resolved cryo-EM
Nature Communications
2023-09-13
Vol. 14 , p. 5649.DOI : 10.1038/s41467-023-41444-x
Near-atomic resolution reconstructions from in situ revitrified cryo samples
Structural Biology
2023-06-01
Vol. 79 , p. 473-478.DOI : 10.1107/S2059798323003431
Electron diffraction of deeply supercooled water in no man’s land
Nature Communications
2023-05-17
Vol. 14 , p. 2812.DOI : 10.48550/arxiv.2211.04419
2022
Journal Articles
Diffraction imaging of light induced dynamics in xenon-doped helium nanodroplets
New Journal of Physics
2022-11-30
Vol. 24 , num. 11, p. 113043.DOI : 10.1088/1367-2630/aca176
Visualizing Nanoscale Dynamics with Time-resolved Electron Microscopy
Chimia
2022-09-21
Vol. 76 , num. 9, p. 754-762.DOI : 10.2533/chimia.2022.754
Microsecond melting and revitrification of cryo samples with a correlative light-electron microscopy approach
2022-09-14
DOI : 10.1101/2022.09.14.507962
Microsecond melting and revitrification of cryo samples: protein structure and beam-induced motion
Acta Crystallographica Section D: Structural Biology
2022-06-14
Vol. 78 , num. 7, p. 883-889.DOI : 10.1107/S205979832200554X
Accurate time zero determination in an ultrafast transmission electron microscope without energy filter
Applied Physics Letters
2022-03-10
Vol. 120 , num. 10, p. 104103.DOI : 10.1063/5.0087850
Microsecond melting and revitrification of cryo samples with a correlative light-electron microscopy approach
Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
2022-11-10
Vol. 9 .DOI : 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1044509
Theses
Second harmonic scattering of water in a biological context
Lausanne: EPFL2022
p. 149.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-9937
2021
Journal Articles
Microsecond melting and revitrification of cryo samples
Structural Dynamics-Us
2021-09-01
Vol. 8 , num. 5, p. 054302.DOI : 10.1063/4.0000129
Rapid melting and revitrification as an approach to microsecond time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy
Chemical Physics Letters
2021-06-11
Vol. 778 , p. 138812.DOI : 10.1016/j.cplett.2021.138812
Ultrafast Resonant Interatomic Coulombic Decay Induced by Quantum Fluid Dynamics
Physical Review X
2021-04-12
Vol. 11 , num. 2, p. 021011.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevX.11.021011
Evolution and ion kinetics of a XUV-induced nanoplasma in ammonia clusters
Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
2021-01-20
Vol. 54 , num. 2, p. 024002.DOI : 10.1088/1361-6455/abcf80
High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy with Bright Microsecond Electron Pulses
Microscopy and Microanalysis
2021
Vol. 27 , num. S1, p. 2714-2717.DOI : 10.1017/S1431927621009569
The fragmentation mechanism of gold nanoparticles in water under femtosecond laser irradiation
Nanoscale Advances
2021-08-02
Vol. 3 , num. 18, p. 5277-5283.DOI : 10.1039/d1na00406a
Theses
Coincidence imaging spectroscopy of extreme-ultraviolet photoionisation processes in molecules and clusters
Lausanne: EPFL2021
p. 170.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-10520
Combining cryognic ion spectroscopy with ion mobility for the study of glycan fragmentation
Lausanne: EPFL2021
p. 106.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-8916
Studies of cold chemistry in crossed and merged neutral beams
Lausanne: EPFL2021
p. 130.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-8479
Low-energy stereodynamics of ion-forming reactions
Lausanne: EPFL2021
p. 110.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-10605
2020
Journal Articles
Atomic-Resolution Imaging of Fast Nanoscale Dynamics with Bright Microsecond Electron Pulses
Nano Letters
2020-12-03
Vol. 21 , num. 1, p. 612–618.DOI : 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c04184
Characterization of a time-resolved electron microscope with a Schottky field emission gun
Structural Dynamics-Us
2020-09-01
Vol. 7 , num. 5, p. 054304.DOI : 10.1063/4.0000034
Intense microsecond electron pulses from a Schottky emitter
Applied Physics Letters
2020-06-09
Vol. 116 , num. 23, p. 234103.DOI : 10.1063/5.0009442
Time-resolved formation of excited atomic and molecular states in XUV-induced nanoplasmas in ammonia clusters
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2020-04-21
Vol. 22 , num. 15, p. 7828-7834.DOI : 10.1039/d0cp00669f
Tracking attosecond electronic coherences using phase-manipulated extreme ultraviolet pulses
Nature Communications
2020-02-14
Vol. 11 , num. 1, p. 883.DOI : 10.1038/s41467-020-14721-2
Real-time observation of jumping and spinning nanodroplets
Structural Dynamics
2020-01-14
Vol. 7 , num. 1, p. 011101.DOI : 10.1063/1.5135699
Ultrafast relaxation of photoexcited superfluid He nanodroplets
Nature Communications
2020-01-08
Vol. 11 , num. 1, p. 112.DOI : 10.1038/s41467-019-13681-6
2019
Journal Articles
In Situ Observation of Coulomb Fission of Individual Plasmonic Nanoparticles
ACS Nano
2019-09-19
Vol. 13 , num. 11, p. 12445-12451.DOI : 10.1021/acsnano.9b06664
Real-Time Dynamics of the Formation of Hydrated Electrons upon Irradiation of Water Clusters with Extreme Ultraviolet Light
Physical Review Letters
2019-04-04
Vol. 122 , num. 13, p. 133001.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.133001
Theses
Orientation, rotation and solvation of ions in helium nanodroplets
Lausanne: EPFL2019
p. 152.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-9671
2018
Journal Articles
Three-Dimensional Shapes of Spinning Helium Nanodroplets
Physical Review Letters
2018-12-17
Vol. 121 , num. 25, p. 255301.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.255301
Helium-induced electronic transitions in photo-excited Ba+–Hen exciplexes
The Journal of Chemical Physics
2018-04-14
Vol. 148 , num. 14, p. 144302.DOI : 10.1063/1.5022863
2017
Journal Articles
Harmonium: An Ultrafast Vacuum Ultraviolet Facility
Chimia
2017
Vol. 71 , num. 5, p. 268-272.DOI : 10.2533/chimia.2017.268
2016
Journal Articles
Dynamics of photoexcited Ba+ cations in 4He nanodroplets
Journal of Chemical Physics
2016
Vol. 144 , p. 094302.DOI : 10.1063/1.4942850
Theses
Ultrafast Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Liquid Samples
Lausanne: EPFL2016
p. 194.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-7122
2015
Journal Articles
Migration of surface excitations in highly-excited nanosystems probed by intense resonant XUV radiation
Journal of Physics B : atomic and molecular physics
2015
Vol. 48 , num. 24, p. 244011.DOI : 10.1088/0953-4075/48/24/244011
Excitation of Sodium Atoms Attached to Helium Nanodroplets: The 3p <-- 3s Transition Revisited
Journal of Physical Chemistry A
2015
Vol. 119 , num. 23, p. 6033.DOI : 10.1021/jp511885t
The Low Density Matter (LDM) beamline of FERMI: optical layout and first commissioning
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation
2015
Vol. 22 , p. 538.DOI : 10.1107/S1600577515005743
Theses
Femtosecond diffractive imaging of structures, charge and spin textures
Lausanne: EPFL2015
DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-6550
Fourier transform mass spectrometry at the uncertainty principle limit for improved qualitative and quantitative molecular analyses
Lausanne: EPFL2015
DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-6384
2014
Journal Articles
Picosecond solvation dynamics of alkali cations in superfluid 4He nanodroplets
Physical Review B
2014
Vol. 90 , p. 224518.DOI : 10.1063/1.1416492
Elementary Excitations of Superfluid Helium Droplets Probed by Ion Spectroscopy
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
2014
Vol. 18 , p. 3100.DOI : 10.1021/jz501530e
Nucleation of quantized vortex rings in 4He nanodroplets
Journal of Chemical Physics
2014
Vol. 140 , num. 14, p. 131101.DOI : 10.1063/1.4870245
Dynamics of Excited Sodium Atoms Attached to Helium Nanodroplets
Journal of Physical Chemistry A
2014
Vol. 118 , p. 2738.DOI : 10.1021/jp4121996
A Novel Collective Autoionization Process Observed in Electron Spectra of He Clusters
Physical Review Letters
2014
Vol. 112 , p. 073401.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.073401
Collective Autoionization in Multiply-Excited Systems: A novel ionization process observed in Helium Nanodroplets
Nature Scientific Reports
2014
Vol. 4 , p. 3621.DOI : 10.1038/srep03621
Theses
Capturing Non-local Effects in Kohn-Sham Density Functional Theory
Lausanne: EPFL2014
DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-6317
Low Energy Collisions in Merged Neutral Molecular Beams
Lausanne: EPFL2014
DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-6210
2013
Journal Articles
Critical Landau velocity in helium nanodroplets
Physical Review Letters
2013
Vol. 111 , p. 153002.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.153002
Translational dynamics of photoexcited atoms in 4He nanodroplets: the case of silver
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2013
Vol. 15 , p. 18388.DOI : 10.1039/C3CP52221K
EUV ionization of pure He nanodroplets: Mass-correlated photoelectron imaging, Penning ionization and electron energy-loss spectra
Journal of Chemical Physics
2013
Vol. 139 , p. 084301.DOI : 10.1063/1.4818531
Charge transfer and Penning ionization of dopants in or on helium nanodroplets exposed to EUV radiation
Journal of Physical Chemistry A
2013
Vol. 117 , num. 21, p. 4394.DOI : 10.1021/jp401424w
A modular end-station for atomic, molecular, and cluster science at the Low Density Matter beamline of FERMI@Elettra
Journal of Physics B : atomic and molecular physics
2013
Vol. 46 , p. 16400.DOI : 10.1088/0953-4075/46/16/164007
Theses
Spectroscopy and Photoexcitation Dynamics of Ions in Helium Nanodroplets
Lausanne: EPFL2013
DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-5930
Photo-Induced Dynamics in Doped Helium Nanodroplets
Lausanne: EPFL2013
DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-5764
2012
Journal Articles
Barium Ions and Helium Nanodroplets: Solvation and Desolvation
Journal of Chemical Physics
2012
Vol. 137 , p. 051102.DOI : 10.1063/1.4743900
Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Barium-doped Helium Nanodroplets
Journal of Chemical Physics
2012
Vol. 136 , p. 154302.DOI : 10.1063/1.3701565
Desorption of alkali atoms from 4He nanodroplets
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2012
Vol. 14 , p. 3996-4010.DOI : 10.1039/C2CP23526A
Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Molecular Ions in Helium Nanodroplets
Journal of Chemical Physics
2012
Vol. 136 , p. 044305.DOI : 10.1063/1.3678011
2011
Journal Articles
Electronic Spectroscopy of Aniline Ions Embedded in Helium Nanodroplets
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
2011
Vol. 2 , p. 1563.DOI : 10.1021/jz200632s
Unusual Rydberg System Consisting of a Positively Charged Helium Nanodroplet with an Orbiting Electron
Physical Review Letters
2011
Vol. 106 , p. 083401.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.083401
Spectroscopy on Rydberg states of sodium atoms on the surface of helium nanodroplets
Journal of Physical Chemistry A
2011
Vol. 115 , p. 6779.DOI : 10.1021/jp111146n
Theses
UV and IR laser spectroscopy of isolated molecular structural dynamics
Universiteit van Amsterdam2011
2010
Journal Articles
IR spectroscopy of molecular ions by nonthermal ion ejection from helium nanodroplets
Journal of the American Chemical Society
2010
Vol. 132 , p. 14086.DOI : 10.1021/ja1034655
Absorption spectroscopy of adenine, 9-methyladenine, and 2-aminopurine in helium nanodroplets
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2010
Vol. 12 , p. 15600.DOI : 10.1039/C0CP00746C
High-resolution excitation and absorption spectroscopy of gas-phase p-coumaric acid: unveiling an elusive chromophore
Journal of the American Chemical Society
2010
Vol. 132 , num. 18, p. 6315-6317.DOI : 10.1021/ja101668v
2009
Journal Articles
Conformational flexibility of a rotaxane thread probed by electronic spectroscopy in helium nanodroplets
Journal of the American Chemical Society
2009
Vol. 131 , p. 12902.DOI : 10.1021/ja905973v
Student Projects
Photodynamics of Li-doped Helium Nanodroplets
2009
Advisor(s): M. Drabbels
2008
Journal Articles
A New Sensitive Detection Scheme for Helium Nanodroplet Isolation Spectroscopy: Application to Benzene
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
2008
Vol. 10 , p. 6107.DOI : 10.1039/b808211a
Theses
Photoexcitation and photoionization dynamics of doped liquid helium-4 nanodroplets
Lausanne: EPFL2008
p. 196.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-4207
2007
Journal Articles
Photodissociation of Alkyl Iodides in Helium Nanodroplets III: Recombination
Journal of Chemical Physics
2007
Vol. 127 , p. 114305.DOI : 10.1063/1.2767263
Photodissociation of Alkyl Iodides in Helium Nanodroplets II: Solvation Dynamics
Journal of Chemical Physics
2007
Vol. 127 , p. 114304.DOI : 10.1063/1.2767262
Photodissociation of Alkyl Iodides in Helium Nanodroplets I: Kinetic Energy Transfer
Journal of Chemical Physics
2007
Vol. 127 , p. 114303.DOI : 10.1063/1.2767261
Excited State Dynamics of Ag Atoms in Helium Nanodroplets
Journal of Physical Chemistry A
2007
Vol. 111 , num. 31, p. 7504.DOI : 10.1021/jp0716278
2005
Journal Articles
A Simple Procedure to Extract Speed Distributions from Ion Images with a Large Background Contribution
Review of Scientific Instruments
2005
Vol. 76 , p. 113103.DOI : 10.1063/1.2130941
Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Doped Helium Droplets
Physical Review Letters
2005
Vol. 95 , num. 16, p. 163401.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.163401
Theses
Slow dynamics in biomolecules studied by NMR spectroscopy
Lausanne: EPFL2005
p. 159.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-3279
Student Projects
Spectroscopy on species in helium droplets using an ionization-based detection system
2005
Advisor(s): M. Drabbels
2004
Journal Articles
Sign of the state-to-state steric asymmetry of rotationally inelastic atom-molecule collisions
Chemical Physics
2004
Vol. 301 , num. 2-3, p. 293.DOI : 10.1016/j.chemphys.2004.02.003
Imaging the Translational Dynamics of CF3 in Liquid Helium Droplets
Physical Review Letters
2004
Vol. 93 , p. 253401.DOI : 10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.253401
Theses
Ultrafast structural dynamics in electronically excited many-body systems
Lausanne: EPFL2004
p. 212.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-3148
Photodissociation studies of CH3I and CF3I in fluid 4Helium nanodroplets
Lausanne: EPFL2004
p. 235.DOI : 10.5075/epfl-thesis-2967