Symmetry breaking by quantum coherence in single electron attachment
ABSTRACT :
Coherence in molecular dynamics induced by coherent laser excitation is well known in the field of atomic, molecular and chemical physics. However, here we are showing - for the first time - that attachment of incoherent electron as well induces such a coherence. The transfer of more than one values of angular momentum quanta to the molecule by the attaching electron is the key behind this observed coherence. This manifests in the form of quantum interference in two dissociation channels of the resulting negative ions. In this talk I will describe the dissociative attachment process, the experimental technique used to measure the momentum images of the process and discuss these findings.