Photoelectron imaging: an experimental window into electronic structure

Abstract

Photoelectron imaging is finding increasingly widespread use in probing electronic structure and chemical dynamics. In this tutorial review, two benchmark systems, H⁻ and I⁻, are used to introduce essential concepts linking photoelectron images of negative ions with parent electronic structure. For pedagogical reasons, a qualitative approach based upon spectroscopic selection rules is emphasized in interpreting the images. This approach is extended to molecular systems, highlighting that even qualitative interpretation of results can lead to significant chemical insights.