Electronic Structure Investigations of Aluminum Clusters

摘要

This report results from a contract tasking University of Basel as follows: The Grantee will investigate spectroscopic studies of aluminum clusters and their ions. Various techniques will be used. With the experience using laser-ablation sources the grantee's machines will be adapted to produce aluminum clusters. Previous studies have demonstrated that using the second harmonic of a YAG laser can produce a wealth of aluminum molecules of assorted sizes. 1,2 Mass spectra from these ablation experiments have shown that clusters ranging from Al8- to beyond Al18- can be created. It is the goal of this study to employ similar methods to produce and spectroscopically interrogate these species. In one year it is expected that the preliminary spectra for the smaller Al clusters, both neutral and ionic, will be investigated.