Observation of structural relaxation during exciton self-trapping via excited-state resonant impulsive stimulated Raman spectroscopy

We detect the change in vibrational frequency associated with the transition from a delocalized to a localized electronic state using femtosecond vibrational wavepacket techniques. The experiments are carried out in the mixed-valence linear chain material [Pt(en)2][Pt(en)2Cl2]⋅(ClO4)4 (en = ethylenediamine, C2H8N2), a quasi-one-dimensional system with strong electron-phonon coupling. Vibrational spectroscopy of the equilibrated self-trapped exciton is carried out using a multiple pulse excitation technique: an initial pump pulse creates a population of delocalized excitons that self-trap and equilibrate, and a time-delayed second pump pulse tuned to the red-shifted absorption band of the self-trapped exciton impulsively excites vibrational wavepacket oscillations at the characteristic vibrational frequencies of the equilibrated self-trapped exciton state by the resonant impulsive stimulated Raman mechanism, acting on the excited state. The measurements yield oscillations at a frequency of 160 cm−1 corresp...