High harmonic generation-2ω attosecond stereo-photoionization interferometry in N2

Abstract

We have investigated photoionization delays in N2 by combining an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) attosecond pulse train generated by high harmonic generation (HHG) and a second harmonic femtosecond pulse with angularly resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. While photoionization delay measurements are usually performed by using a standard XUV-infrared scheme, here we show that the present approach allows us to separate electronic states that otherwise would overlap, thus avoiding the spectral congestion found in most molecules. We have found a relative delay between the X and A ionic molecular states as a function of the photon energy of up to 40 attoseconds, which is due to the presence of a shape resonance in the X channel. This approach can be applied to other small quantum systems with few active electronic states.