Mapping ultrafast dynamics of highly excited D₂⁺ by ultrashort XUV pump - IR probe radiation

An ultrashort XUV laser pulse ionizes the D₂ molecule creating an electronic and nuclear wave packet, with the dominant contributions from the 2sσ_g and 2pπ_u ionic states. A delayed interaction with a 780 nm IR field ejects the second electron, leading to the Coulomb explosion of the molecule, whose nuclear fragments, recorded in coincidence, map the dynamics associated to those two ionic excited states. By varying the orientation of the light polarization, one can control the molecular dynamics by modifying the ratio between the ionic states. Experimental and ab initio theoretical data are jointly reported.