Electron spectra from ${\text{Ar}}_n$ $\left(n\le 24000\right)$ and doped ${\text{Ar-CS}}_2$ clusters are studied experimentally at laser intensities of about ${10}^{15}\text{W}{\text{cm}}^{-2}$. More than an order of magnitude enhancement in the electron yield is observed in the case of doped ${\text{Ar-CS}}_2$ clusters. The enhancement observed is argued to be because of the presence of species with low ionization potential, ${\text{CS}}_2$, in the cluster. Similar enhancement is also observed in $K$-shell emission when comparison is done between pure ${\text{Ar}}_n$ and mixed $\text{Ar-}\left({\text{CS}}_2\right)$ clusters under identical experimental conditions of laser irradiation. We also address the effect of doping ${\text{CS}}_2$ clusters with dopant, Ar, which has higher ionization energy. We demonstrate a simple method for the characterization of doping level based on the Rayleigh scattering measurements.

• Received 28 July 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.80.043202