Using photoelectron spectroscopy to unravel the excited-state dynamics of benzene

Experimental and calculated spectra are presented for the two-photon ionisation of benzene via the S1(B2u) excited-state. The experimental spectra are produced using a femtosecond pump-probe set-up with the signal captured by photoelectron imaging. The calculations use wavepacket dynamics simulations using a simple model Hamiltonian to represent the benzene molecule interacting with the laser pulses, which are included explicitly. Comparison of the two sets of spectra help to untangle the presence of different processes.