Fundamental Interactions of Molecules (Na2, Na3) with Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulses

The real‐time dynamics of multiphoton ionization and fragmentation of molecules Na2and Na3has been studied in molecular beam experiments employing ion and electron spectroscopy together with femtosecond pump‐probe techniques. Experiments with Na2and Na3reveal unexpected features of the dynamics of the absorption of several photons as seen in the one‐ and three‐dimensional vibrational wave packet motion in different potential surfaces and in high laser fields: