Multiphoton ionization detection mechanism

B) The multiphoton excitation of electronic levels of atoms and molecules with visible or UV radiation generally leads to ionization. The mechanism is generally a combination of direct, Goeppert-Mayer, and quasi-resonant stepwise processes. Since ionization often requires only two or tln-ee photons, this type of multiphoton excitation is used for spectroscopic purposes in combination with mass-spectrometric detection of ions. 

In contrast to the ionization of C q after vibrational excitation, typical multiphoton ionization proceeds via the excitation of higher electronic levels. In principle, multiphoton ionization can either be used to generate ions and to study their reactions, or as a sensitive detection technique for atoms, molecules, and radicals in reaction kinetics. The second application is more common. In most cases of excitation with visible or UV laser radiation, a few photons are enough to reach or exceed the ionization limit. A particularly important teclmique is resonantly enlianced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), which exploits the resonance of monocluomatic laser radiation with one or several intennediate levels (in one-photon or in multiphoton processes). The mechanisms are distinguished according to the number of photons leading to the resonant intennediate levels and to tire final level, as illustrated in figure B2.5.16. Several lasers of different frequencies may be combined. 

---