# Visualizing the strong field–induced molecular breakup of C60 via x-ray diffraction

## TL;DR

Scientists used x-ray diffraction to observe how intense laser light causes C60 molecules to break apart in real time.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates real-time visualization of laser-induced molecular breakup using time-resolved x-ray diffraction.

## Key findings

- C60 molecules expand by up to 50% within 140 fs under high laser intensity.
- Fragmentation occurs after the molecules expand significantly.
- X-ray diffraction reveals structural changes during laser-matter interaction.

## Abstract

Laser-driven dynamics in polyatomic molecules poses a complex many-body problem. Understanding intense light-matter interaction is crucial for steering intramolecular quantum dynamical processes. Here, we record time-resolved x-ray diffraction images of C60 molecules during and after their interaction with intense near-infrared fields, giving direct access to structural changes of the molecules and their fragmentation in real time. Tuning the intensity of the excitation pulses, we uncover a transition from a weak-field regime of excited but stable molecules to a high-field regime dominated by Coulomb explosion. In the transition region, the molecules expand by up to 50% of their initial size within just 140 fs, with major fragmentation only setting in afterward. This work demonstrates that x-ray diffractive imaging is capable of retrieving time-resolved structural information of large molecules reshaped by intense laser fields. Laser-driven fragmentation is a first step toward observing molecular processes modified by laser fields of increasing intensity.

X-ray laser illuminates how intensity-tunable light reshapes C60 molecules and their fragmentation dynamics.