Correlation Effects in the Ionization of Molecules: Breakdown of the Molecular Orbital Picture

High-order harmonic generation spectroscopy of correlation-driven electron hole dynamics

We show how high-order harmonic generation spectroscopy can be used to follow correlation-driven electron hole dynamics with attosecond time resolution. The technique is applicable both to normal Auger transitions and to electron hole migration processes that do not lead to secondary electron emission. We theoretically simulate the proposed spectroscopy for M(4,5)NN Auger decay in Kr and for correlation-driven inner-valence hole dynamics in trans-butadiene and propanal.

Single-photon laser-enabled auger spectroscopy for measuring attosecond electron-hole dynamics

We propose and simulate a new type of attosecond time-resolved spectroscopy of electron-hole dynamics, applicable particularly to ultrafast hole migration. Attosecond ionization in the inner-valence region is followed by a vacuum ultraviolet probe inducing single-photon laser-enabled Auger decay, a one-photon-two-electron transition filling the inner-valence vacancy. The double ionization probability as a function of the attosecond pump-vacuum ultraviolet probe delay captures efficiently the ultrafast inner-valence hole dynamics. Detailed ab initio calculations are presented for inner-valence hole migration in glycine.

The valence electronic structure and conformational flexibility of epichlorohydrin

The electronic structure of epichlorohydrin is investigated in the whole valence region by a combined experimental and theoretical study. The issue of controversial assignments of the molecular electronic structure is here addressed. Photoelectron spectra (PES) and Threshold Photoelectron spectra (TPES) of room temperature molecules in the gas phase are recorded. Geometries and energies of the stable conformers due to internal rotation of the C-C-C-Cl dihedral angle, gauche-II (g-II), gauche-I (g-I), and cis, are calculated, and the effect of the conformational flexibility on the photoionization energetics is studied by DFT and 2h-1p Configuration Interaction (CI) methods. Strong breakdown of the Koopmans Theorem (KT) is obtained for the four outermost ionizations, which are further investigated by higher level ab initio calculations. The full assignment of the spectrum is put on a firm basis by the combination of experimental and theoretical results. The orbital composition from correlated calculations is found closer to the DFT orbitals, which are then used to analyze the electronic structure of the molecule. The Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and HOMO--2 are n(O)/n(Cl) mixed orbitals. The nature of each valence MO is generally preserved in all the conformers, although the magnitude of the n(O)/n(Cl) mixing in HOMO and HOMO--2 varies to some extent with the C-C-C-Cl dihedral angle. The low energy part of the HOMO PE band is predicted to be substantially affected by the conformational flexibility, as experimentally observed in the spectra. The rest of the spectrum is described in terms of the dominant conformer g-II, and a good agreement between experiment and theory is found. The inner-valence PE spectrum is characterized by satellite structures, due to electron correlation effects, which are interpreted by means of 2h-1p CI calculations.

Decoherence in attosecond photoionization

The creation of superpositions of hole states via single-photon ionization using attosecond extreme-ultraviolet pulses is studied with the time-dependent configuration-interaction singles (TDCIS) method. Specifically, the degree of coherence between hole states in atomic xenon is investigated. We find that interchannel coupling not only affects the hole populations, but it also enhances the entanglement between the photoelectron and the remaining ion, thereby reducing the coherence within the ion. As a consequence, even if the spectral bandwidth of the ionizing pulse exceeds the energy splittings among the hole states involved, perfectly coherent hole wave packets cannot be formed. For sufficiently large spectral bandwidth, the coherence can only be increased by increasing the mean photon energy.

Threshold ionization and dissociation oft-butylamine

The threshold photoelectron spectrum of t-butylamine, recorded between 8 and 28 eV, is reported for the first time. The spectrum was compared to orbital ionization energies calculated at the OVGF/cc-pVTZ level of theory. The adiabatic and vertical ionization energies of the outermost orbital (made up primarily of the nitrogen p orbital) are 8.48 ± 0.02 and 9.40 ± 0.02 eV, respectively. Threshold photoelectron photoion coincidence spectra were recorded between 8.5 and 35 eV, and appearance energies for 15 fragment ions were obtained. The lowest energy dissociation is the loss of a methyl group to form the (CH3)2CNH2+ion. RRKM fitting of this dissociation leads to a ΔfH298for (CH3)2CNH2+of 603 ± 3 kJ mol–1. This value is ~10 kJ mol–1higher than the previously derived value of Lossing et al. (based on an electron ionization appearance energy value) and the G3B3 estimate. Together with the proton affinity value of 932.3 kJ mol–1, the present ΔfH298leads to a ΔfH298for 2-propanimine (CH3)2C=NH of 5.3 kJ mol–1, which can be compared to a value of –5.7 kJ mol–1(based on the Lossing et al. (CH3)2CNH2+ΔfH298) and a G3B3 value of –0.3 kJ mol–1. At photon energies above 26 eV, there is evidence for the dissociative double ionization of t-butylamine forming either the singlet or triplet state of the dication.

Internal inelastic scattering satellite probed by molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions from CO2

The molecular-frame photoelectron angular distribution (MFPAD) of the satellite accompanying the C 1s photoline of the CO2 molecule has been measured at the C 1s(2sigmag)-->4sigmau* shape resonance, using electron-ion multicoincidence momentum spectroscopy. The observed MFPAD indicates that the conjugate satellite is excited by internal inelastic scattering. In this scenario, a photoelectron is ejected from the C 1s(2sigmag) orbital along the molecular axis and collides with an O lone-pair electron in the highest occupied molecular orbital 1pig. Then one of the colliding electrons is trapped to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital 2piu*, while the other is emitted as a satellite photoelectron of sigmag symmetry, losing the information of the original photoelectron emission direction and parity.

Core ionization potentials from self-interaction corrected Kohn-Sham orbital energies

We propose a simple self-interaction correction to Kohn-Sham orbital energies in order to apply ground state Kohn-Sham density functional theory to accurate predictions of core electron binding energies and chemical shifts. The proposition is explored through a series of calculations of organic compounds of different sizes and types. Comparison is made versus experiment and the "DeltaKohn-Sham" method employing separate state optimizations of the ground and core hole states, with the use of the B3LYP functional and different basis sets. A parameter alpha is introduced for a best fitting of computed and experimental ionization potentials. It is found that internal parametrizations in terms of basis set expansions can be well controlled. With a unique alpha=0.72 and basis set larger than 6-31G, the core ionization energies (IPs) of the self-interaction corrected Kohn-Sham calculations fit quite well to the experimental values. Hence, self-interaction corrected Kohn-Sham calculations seem to provide a promising tool for core IPs that combines accuracy and efficiency.

PtF62− dianion and its detachment spectrum: A fully relativistic study

In this work we calculate the photoelectron spectrum of the PtF(6)2- dianion by application of the third-order Dirac-Hartree-Fock one-particle propagator technique. Relativistic effects and electron correlation are hereby treated on a consistent theoretical basis which is mandatory for systems containing heavy elements. A PtF6(2-) gas phase photoelectron spectrum is not yet available and our calculations therefore have predictive character. As it is characteristic for dianionic systems a strong dependence on basis set size and molecular geometry is observed. In contrast to the already calculated PtCl(6)2- photoelectron spectrum no valence orbital inversion due to strong interplay of spin-orbit coupling and electron correlation is observed. Furthermore an unusually strong spin-orbit splitting was found for the sigma-type subvalence 1t1u molecular spinor despite its very small platinum p population. The double ionization threshold is strongly lowered by relativistic effects now enabling an interatomic Coulombic decay process after ionization from the sigma-bonding orbitals. The results stress the importance of spin-orbit coupling for the understanding of the spectral structure which cannot be reproduced by a scalar-relativistic treatment only.

Explicitly intruder-free valence-universal multireference coupled cluster theory as applied to ionization spectroscopy

Although it is quite promising to compute the spectroscopic energies [say, ionization potential (IP)] via the traditional valence-universal multireference coupled cluster (VUMRCC) method based on the description of the complete model space being seriously plagued by the perennial intruder state problem, the eigenvalue independent partitioning (EIP) based VUMRCC (coined as EIP-MRCC) method is quite effective to predict the spectroscopic energies in an intruder-free manner. Hence, the EIP-MRCC method is suitable for generating both the principal IPs and the satellite IPs of the inner-valence region. An EIP strategy converts the nonlinear VUMRCC equations for M(m,n) dimensional model space of m hole and n particle to a non-Hermitian eigenproblem of larger dimension whose M(m,n) roots are only physically meaningful. To increase the quality of the computed energy differences in the sense of chemical accuracy and to locate the correct position of it in the spectrum, the inclusion of higher-body cluster operators on top of all the standard singles-doubles is not the only pivotal issue, the effect of the size of the basis set is also equally important. This paper illustrates these issues by calculating the principal and satellite IPs of HF and HCl molecules using various basis sets (viz., Dunning's cc-pVDZ, cc-pVTZ, and cc-pVQZ) via EIP-MRCC method with full inclusion of triples (abbreviated as EIP-MRCCSDT). The results seem quite encouraging in comparison with the experimental values. The controversial 2Pi satellite at 28.67 eV of HCl of Svensson et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 89, 7193 (1988)] is also reported.

Migration of holes: Numerical algorithms and implementation

A hole created in a system, for instance by ionization, can migrate through the system solely driven by many-electron effects. The implementation of the theory of charge migration and the numerical algorithms used are described in detail. A description of the ab initio calculation of charge migration in realistic systems is presented for several examples and the underlying mechanisms of charge migration are identified and interpreted using theoretical models. In all cases studied the migration is found to be ultrafast.

Quartet states of the acetylene cation: electronic structure calculations and spin-orbit coupling terms

Highly correlated ab initio methods have been used to generate one-dimensional cuts of the six-dimensional potential energy surfaces of the quartet and lowest doublet states for the HCCH(+) ion along the CH, CC, and cis and trans bending coordinates. Transition dipole moments and spin-orbit matrix elements are deduced. For the lowest 1 (4)Sigma(u) (+) state, the calculations predict a possible photon emission through the 1 (4)Pi(g)<--1 (4)Sigma(u) (+) transition competing with internal conversion and predissociation processes. The potential surfaces are used together with spin-orbit matrix elements to discuss the metastability and the predissociation processes forming the C(2)HC(2)H(+)+H(+)H products. Multistep spin-orbit induced predissociation pathways are suggested.

Ionization and double ionization of small water clusters

The valence ionization and double ionization spectra of the water molecule, of the water dimer, and the cyclic water clusters (H2O)3 and (H2O)4 are calculated by ab initio Green's function methods and discussed in some detail. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the development of the spectra with increasing cluster size. Electronic decay following inner valence ionization is addressed and a crude estimate for the kinetic energy spectrum of the secondary electrons is given for the clusters.

Quasiparticle band structure of infinite hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen chloride chains

We study the quasiparticle band structure of isolated, infinite (HF)(infinity) and (HCl)(infinity) bent (zigzag) chains and examine the effect of the crystal field on the energy levels of the constituent monomers. The chains are one of the simplest but realistic models of the corresponding three-dimensional crystalline solids. To describe the isolated monomers and the chains, we set out from the Hartree-Fock approximation, harnessing the advanced Green's function methods local molecular orbital algebraic diagrammatic construction (ADC) scheme and local crystal orbital ADC (CO-ADC) in a strict second order approximation, ADC(2,2) and CO-ADC(2,2), respectively, to account for electron correlations. The configuration space of the periodic correlation calculations is found to converge rapidly only requiring nearest-neighbor contributions to be regarded. Although electron correlations cause a pronounced shift of the quasiparticle band structure of the chains with respect to the Hartree-Fock result, the bandwidth essentially remains unaltered in contrast to, e.g., covalently bound compounds.