A pump-probe photoionization mass spectrometer utilizing tunable extreme ultraviolet laser-produced-plasma radiation

Abstract

An experimental device is reported that utilizes time-correlated nanosecond light pulses in combination with photoionization mass spectrometry. A primary light pulse is generated by a tunable dye laser in the ultraviolet regime, which photolyzes neutral gas targets under collision free conditions. Subsequently, a time-correlated extreme ultraviolet-light pulse comes from a laser-produced plasma that is monochromatized in the 10-25 eV regime. The photolysis products are ionized by one-photon absorption, so that the cations are finally detected by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The performance of this experimental approach is characterized by investigating the primary photolysis products of chlorine dioxide. Finally, possible applications of this approach are briefly discussed. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(00)01203-X].