D. J. Pegg’s research while affiliated with The University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville and other places

In this paper, we present an apparatus for studies into the photodetachment process of atomic negative ions. State-selective detection of the residual atom following the initial photodetachment step is achieved by combining resonant laser excitation of the photo-detached atom with electric field ionization. The resonance ionization technique in combination with a co-linear ion–laser beam geometry gives an experimental apparatus that has both high selectivity and sensitivity. In addition to measurements of a single selected partial photodetachment channel, the apparatus also can be used to study a manifold of photodetachment channels in which the residual atom is left in a high-lying Rydberg state and for investigation of the double electron-detachment process. Ion-optical simulations in SIMION are used to illustrate the operation of the apparatus for studying such processes. Successful performance of the apparatus against the simulation is demonstrated by a high resolution study of the photodetachment of cesium, where the sharp s-wave threshold of the photodetachment processes leaving the residual atom in the excited 6 p state was investigated.

The angular distributions of electrons ejected in laser photodetachment of the P− ion have been studied in the photon energy range of 0.95–3.28 eV using a photoelectron spectrometer designed to accommodate a source consisting of collinearly overlapping photon and negative ion beams. We observe the value of the asymmetry parameter β starting at zero near the threshold, falling to almost −1 about 0.5 eV above the threshold and eventually rising to a positive value. The experimental data has been fitted to a simplified model of the Cooper-Zare formula which yields a qualitative understanding of the quantum interference between the outgoing s and d waves representing the free electron. The present results are also compared with previous results for other elements involving p-electron photodetachment.

A neutral particle detector is presented, in which the traditionally used target material, indium tin oxide (ITO), is replaced by graphene. The graphene-based detector enables collinear photodetachment measurements at a significantly shorter wavelength of light down to 230 nm compared to ITO-based detectors, which are limited at 335 nm. Moreover, the background signal from the photoelectric effect is drastically reduced when using graphene. The graphene based detector, reaching 1.7 eV further into the UV energy range, allows increased possibilities for photodetachment studies of negatively charged atoms, molecules, and clusters.

In the present paper we describe a newly designed collinear photoelectron spectrometer for angular distribution measurements. We will henceforth refer to this instrument by the acronym PEARLS (PhotoElectron Angle-Resolved Linear Spectrometer). The design was motivated by the desire to collect electrons emitted from an extended linear source consisting of collinear photon and ion beams at a synchrotron radiation site. The electrons could be produced in either photoionization or photodetachment events. The primary advantage of a collinear beams geometry is that the effective interaction volume can be made much larger than that obtainable with a crossed beams geometry, which has been used in many earlier photoelectron spectroscopic studies. The present apparatus is capable of collecting electrons over a beam source length of 22 cm. The electrons are detected using Channel Electron Multipliers (CEMs). There are 4 detector planes placed perpendicular to the direction of the beam source, where each plane contains 4 CEMs. The use of all 4 detector planes with a total of 16 CEMs enhances the photoelectron signal, which is important at a synchrotron radiation site where the photon flux is typically low. If photoelectrons of different energies are emitted, the design allows for electrostatic energy analyzers to be placed in front of the CEMs. We have performed a photodetachment experiment to demonstrate the functionality of the PEARLS apparatus using a pulsed laser as the photon source. In particular, we have measured the angular distribution of photoelectrons ejected from Ag⁻ at two different photon energies.

In a recent experiment, Lindahl et al. (Lindahl A. O. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 108 (2012) 033004) observed a new threshold behavior in the photodetachment of the potassium negative ion when the residual atom is left in the state. Unfortunately the resonance close to threshold made it more difficult to apply the semi-classical model that was developed to describe the threshold behavior. In this paper we present a study of the threshold behavior of the partial cross-section in the photodetachment of the sodium negative ion. The experiment was conducted using a collinear beams apparatus where the detection was performed using a resonance ionization scheme. We observe the same threshold behavior as in the previous experiment, but without any obfuscating resonance. The model derived in the previous paper is found to fit the observed cross-section up to 35 meV above threshold. The present experiment clearly demonstrates the threshold behaviour for the fundamental process of a free electron moving in the field of an atom with a large negative polarizability.

A collinear beam apparatus has been used to study photodetachment of Cs^{−}. Partial cross sections were measured using state-selective detection based on a resonance ionization scheme. Several resonances were observed in the Cs(10^{2}S), Cs(6^{2}F), Cs(6^{2}G), and Cs(6^{2}H) final-state channels below the Cs(10^{2}P_{3/2}) channel opening. A model was developed to account for the interference between overlapping resonances. This model is essentially a generalization of the Fano [U. Fano, Phys. Rev. 124, 1866 (1961)] and Shore [B. W. Shore, Phys. Rev. 171, 43 (1968)] parametrizations for single resonances. Resonance parameters were extracted by fitting the model to the data sets. The openings of the Cs(10^{2}S) and Cs(6^{2}F) channels, where the polarizabilities of the atomic states are large and positive, showed rapid onsets. In the case of the Cs(6^{2}G) and Cs(6^{2}H) channels, on the other hand, the photodetachment cross sections increased slowly with energy. For the Cs(6^{2}H) channel this is the expected behavior, since it is the result of a large and negative polarizability of the 6^{2}H state. In addition, the excitation of the Cs(6^{2}H) state with respect to the Cs ground state was found to be 28 356.3(2) cm^{−1}, in agreement with a previous experiment.

An apparatus for measurements of partial photodetachment cross sections has been constructed. In the first measurements a number of previously unobserved resonances in K- were observed.

A photodetachment experiment has been performed with the formation of atoms in highly excited states of high positive and negative polarizabilities. A semiclassical model has been developed to describe the effect of the repulsive polarization potential in the vicinity of the photoreaction threshold.

A collinear beams apparatus has been used to determine photodetachment cross sections for K− in the photon energy range 4.250–4.360 eV. State-selective detection, utilizing a resonance ionization scheme, was applied to measure partial cross sections for those channels which leave the residual K atoms in the excited 7 2 S, 5 2 F, and 5 2G states. The energy region studied encompassed the openings of the aforementioned channels, as well as the channel that leaves the K atom in the 7 2 P state. Two previously unobserved resonances were seen in all three partial cross sections between the K(5 2G) and K(7 2P) thresholds. It is shown that a more reliable determination of resonance parameters can be made if the same resonances are observed in several channels. In the region below the K(5 2 F) threshold, three previously observed resonances were investigated [ Kiyan et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 84 5979 (2000)]. A greatly increased modulation of the signal was obtained by detecting in the K(7 2 S) channel instead of the K(5 2 S) channel used in the previous study. Furthermore, the shapes of the cross sections in the threshold regions are discussed. A detailed description of the apparatus and the experimental procedure employed is presented in the paper.

We have experimentally investigated the structure of the Pt− ion using laser photodetachment threshold spectroscopy. The experiment was conducted using a collinear laser-ion beam apparatus, in which the residual atoms created in the photodetachment process were detected. A p-wave threshold was observed in the photodetachment spectrum at an energy of 6851(13) cm−1. We conclude that this onset originates from a photodetachment transition in which the initial state of Pt− is the previously unobserved 5d106s 2S1∕2 state and the final state of Pt is the 5d96s 3D3 ground state. The excitation energy of the 2S1∕2 state is determined to be 10 289(13) cm−1. This value can be compared with a multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculation performed by Thøgersen et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 76 2870 (1996), which yielded an excitation energy of 11 301 cm−1. Our data show no indication of the presence of any other state of Pt−. We conclude that the structure of the Pt− ion is now fully known.