Coherent Resonances Observed in the Dissociative Electron Attachments to Carbon Monoxide

TL;DR

This study provides experimental evidence of coherent interference among resonant states in dissociative electron attachment to CO, revealing state configuration changes with energy and demonstrating the formation of coherent resonances through superposition.

Contribution

It offers new experimental insights into the coherent interference of resonant states in CO^- during electron attachment, expanding understanding of resonance behavior in molecular dissociation.

Findings

Evidence of coherent interference in CO^- resonances.

Observation of state configuration changes with energy.

Confirmation of superposition of pure resonant states.

Abstract

Succeeding our previous finding about coherent interference of the resonant states of CO^- formed by the low-energy electron attachment [Phys. Rev. A 88, 012708 (2013)], here we provide more evidences of the coherent interference, in particular, we find the state configuration change in the interference with the increase of electron attachment energy by measuring the completely backward distributions of the O^- fragment ion of the temporary CO^- in an energy range 11.3-12.6 eV. Therefore, different pure states, namely, coherent resonances, can be formed when the close-lying resonant states are coherently superposed by a broad-band electron pulse.