Dynamics of dissipation processes in the Ag–Xe complex

2ω–2ω bleaching measurements of the ground state absorption and 2ω–1ω fluorescence dip measurements were carried out on the s–p transitions of Ag atoms in Xe matrices by ps laser pulses with 2ω corresponding to about 320 nm and 1ω to 640 nm. The absorption spectrum is analyzed in terms of a dynamic Jahn–Teller (JT) effect with a depth of the bound −JT state of about 30 meV and a pseudorotation frequency of about 20 ps. The −JT state seems to be rather long lived with a depopulation time of 3(±1) ps and a small energy dissipation rate of about 1 phonon per ps. Fluorescence occurs after a significant static lattice deformation accompanied by an energy relaxation of 0.4 eV. This static deformation and the energy relaxation to the emitting states proceed on a similar time scale of 3 ps which is very fast if the involved energies and the dissipation rate of about 30 phonons per ps are considered. The different rates are related to the different coupling to the lattice in the pseudorotating and the statically deformed geometry. Transient absorption is only observed in the relaxed state with σ=1.6(±0.5)⋅10−16 cm−2.