# Bootstrapping to the Molecular Frame with Time-domain Photoionization Interferometry

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a time-domain photoionization interferometry method using impulsively aligned molecules to determine ionization matrix elements and reconstruct molecular frame interferograms, enabling comprehensive photoionization analysis.

## Contribution

The work presents a novel time-domain approach to perform complete photoionization experiments and reconstruct molecular frame data without prerequisites for any molecule.

## Key findings

- Able to determine ionization matrix element magnitudes and phases
- Reconstructs molecular frame interferograms from lab frame data
- Applicable to all molecules, energies, and channels

## Abstract

Photoionization of molecular species is, essentially, a multi-path interferometer with both experimentally controllable and intrinsic molecular characteristics. In this work, XUV photoionization of impulsively aligned molecular targets ($N_2$) is used to provide a time-domain route to "complete" photoionization experiments, in which the rotational wavepacket controls the geometric part of the photoionization interferometer. The data obtained is sufficient to determine the magnitudes and phases of the ionization matrix elements for all observed channels, and to reconstruct molecular frame interferograms from lab frame measurements. In principle this methodology provides a time-domain route to complete photoionization experiments, and the molecular frame, which is generally applicable to any molecule (no prerequisites), for all energies and ionization channels.