EPJ D – Nanodroplets make perfect hosts

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Published on 28 March 2011

Helium nanodroplets provide a unique matrix for the spectroscopy of embedded atom species. In this recent paper in EPJD, Bünermann and Stienkemeier demonstrate a new model of how effects such as droplet shrinking, momentum transfer and cluster desorption affect the pick-up statistics of alkali atoms in helium nanodroplets. To develop this model the authors produced new experimental results, detailed in the article, which include complete doping curves for potassium cluster sizes up to 9. Simulations based on the model closely matched the experimental data. Further, the authors show that this method can also be used to derive information on the spin statistics of formed clusters. This paper thus provides a new and useful tool for embedded species spectroscopy.