Seminars Archive

Quantenclusters as Cryomatrices: Spectroscopy of Doped Helium and Hydrogen Clusters

Abstract
Superfluid helium droplets have been established as a low temperature matrix of extraordinary quality, in particular for spectroscopic studies. In recent experiments we employed helium droplets also as reactors to study the chemical reactivity of water with alkalis. Hydrogen clusters, on the other hand, are scarcely used as a low temperature matrix. Such nanodroplets or nanocrystals offer a unique opportunity to study the properties of hydrogen as well as hydrogen composite matter. Moreover, the quantum properties of hydrogen at the nanoscale might reveal new fundamental insight. We dope hydrogen clusters with atoms and molecules and probe their properties by laser spectroscopy in order to get information on the solid, liquid or even superfluid state. Electronic transitions show peculiar shifts and broadenings to be compared to absorptions measured in liquid or solid hydrogen.