Photochemical processes in doped rare gas clusters studied with luminescence spectroscopic methods

Abstract

Photochemical processes in Xe and NF₃ doped rare gas clusters Rg_N (Rg=Ar, Kr, Xe) are investigated with luminescence spectroscopy using photo-excitation with synchrotron radiation. Relaxation processes in Xe doped Ar_N clusters depend considerably on the location of the Xe atom in the cluster. Following excitation of surface sites desorption of electronically excited Xe atoms in the ³P₁ state is a dominant decay channel. Xe atoms in the interior of the cluster emit inside bubbles. The results are discussed in view of recent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Electronically excited Rg_N clusters doped with NF₃ emit luminescence bands attributed to RgF* and Rg₂F*. This result gives strong evidence for the first charge transfer reactions in clusters.