Spectroscopy of gold atoms and gold oligomers in helium nanodroplets

The 6p P-2(1/2) <- 6s S-2(1/2) and 6p P-2(3/2) <- 6s S-2(1/2) transitions (D lines) of gold atoms embedded in superfluid helium nanodroplets have been investigated using resonant two-photon ionization spectroscopy. Both transitions are strongly blue-shifted and broadened due to the repulsive interaction between the Au valence electron and the surrounding helium. The in-droplet D lines are superimposed by the spectral signature of Au atoms relaxed into the metastable D-2 states. These features are narrower than the in-droplet D lines and exhibit sharp rising edges that coincide with bare atom transitions. It is concluded that they originate from metastable D-2 state AuHen exciplexes that have been ejected from the helium droplets during a relaxation process. Interestingly, the mechanism that leads to the formation of these complexes is suppressed for very large helium droplets consisting of about 2 x 10(6) He atoms, corresponding to a droplet diameter on the order of 50 nm. The assignment of the observed spectral features is supported by ab initio calculations employing a multiconfigurational self-consistent field method and a multi-reference configuration interaction calculation. For large helium droplets doped with Au oligomers, excitation spectra for mass channels corresponding to Au-n with n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 are presented. The mass spectrum reveals even-odd oscillations in the number of Au atoms that constitute the oligomer, which is characteristic for coinage metal clusters. Resonances are observed close by the in-droplet D1 and D2 transitions, and the corresponding peak forms are very similar for different oligomer sizes. (C) 2018 Author(s).