The relaxation of photoexcited nanosystems is a fundamental process of light–matter interaction. Depending on the couplings of the internal degrees of freedom, relaxation can be ultrafast, converting electronic energy in a few fs, or slow, if the energy is trapped in a metastable state that decouples from its environment. Here, we study helium nanodroplets excited resonantly by femtosecond extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulses from a seeded free-electron laser. Despite their superfluid nature, we find that helium nanodroplets in the lowest electronically excited states undergo ultrafast relaxation.
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Mudrich Marcel, Laforge Aaron, Ciavardini Alessandra, O Keeffe Patrick, Callegari Carlo, Coreno Marcello, Demidovich Alexander, Devetta Michele, Di Fraia Michele, Drabbels Marcel, Finetti Paola, Gessner Oliver, Grazioli Cesare, Hernando Alberto, Neumark Daniel M, Ovcharenko Yevheniy, Piseri Paolo, Plekan Oksana, Prince Kevin C, Richter Robert, Ziemkiewicz Michael, Möller Thomas, Eloranta Jussi, Pí Martí, Barranco Manuel, Stienkemeier Frank
Nature Communications 11, 112 (2020)
doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13681-6
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