Development and characterization of a narrow-pulsed molecular beam system

Abstract

A narrow-pulsed and velocity-controlled molecular beam system is constructed by using a high-speed chopper and a temperature adjustable pulsed valve. The duration of the hydrogen molecular beam pulse is reduced to approximately 6.3 µs and characterized using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) at a distance of ~193 mm downstream from the nozzle. To precisely determine the velocity of the hydrogen molecules, a pump-probe technique combining stimulated Raman pumping and REMPI is employed at a fixed distance (193 mm) with nanosecond lasers. By adjusting the temperature of the pulsed valve, the velocity of the hydrogen beam varies continuously from 1290 m/s to 3550 m/s. The system exhibits potential for multiple applications in the field of chemical reaction dynamics, including its potential to integrate with ion traps and surface scattering experiments.