Towards femtosecond time-resolved XUV photoionization studies of Helium nanodroplets

Helium II nanodroplets constitute a unique cryogenic matrix for the creation, isolation and spectroscopy of regular and exotic species, such as free radicals and molecules in high-spin states. The droplets readily pick up atoms and molecules but interact only very weakly with the respective dopants due to their superfluid nature. We are currently setting up a high-order harmonic generation-based femtosecond XUV-pump, IR-probe experiment to study the photoionization dynamics of pure and doped Helium nanodroplets close to the atomic Helium IP (24.6 eV) in real-time. Using Velocity-Map Imaging (VMI) photoelectron spectroscopy we will monitor the photoionization dynamics of the droplets, of the dopants in the droplet environment, and the charge- and energy-transfer mechanisms between droplets and dopants.