Correlation-Driven Charge Migration Triggered by Infrared Multi-Photon Ionization

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new experimental scheme using infrared multi-photon ionization and X-ray free-electron lasers to observe correlation-driven charge migration in molecules, supported by theoretical density-functional simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a method to selectively trigger and observe correlation-driven charge migration, advancing experimental capabilities in attosecond molecular science.

Findings

Infrared multi-photon ionization can trigger charge migration.

X-ray free-electron lasers enable spatially resolved probing.

Density-functional theory models correlation-driven charge dynamics.

Abstract

The possibility of observing correlation-driven charge migration has been a driving force behind theoretical and experimental developments in the field of attosecond molecular science since its inception. Despite significant accomplishments, the unambiguous experimental observation of this quantum beating remains elusive. In this work, we present a method to selectively trigger such dynamics using molecules predicted to exhibit long-lived electron coherence. We show that these dynamics can be selectively triggered using infrared multi-photon ionization and probed using the spacial resolution of X-ray free-electron laser, proposing a promising experimental scheme to study these pivotal dynamics. Additionally, we demonstrate that real-time time-dependent density-functional theory can describe correlation-driven charge migration resulting from a hole mixing structure involving the HOMO of a molecule.