Laser ionization and spectroscopy of Cu in superfluid helium nanodroplets

[Display omitted] •First experimental investigation of Cu electronic excitations in helium nanodroplets.•Agreement is found with computed spectra from literature.•Cu is observed to be solvated inside the droplets and ejected upon excitation.•Clusters containing up to seven Cu atoms are formed inside the droplets. Mass and optical spectroscopic methods are used for the analysis of copper (Cu) atoms and clusters doped to helium nanodroplets (HeN). A two-color resonant two-photon ionization scheme is applied to study the Cu 2P1/2,3/2∘←2S1/2 ground state transition. The absorption is strongly broadened for Cu atoms submerged inside helium nanodroplets and a comparison with computed literature values is provided. An observed ejection of the dopant from the droplet is triggered upon excitation, populating energetically lower states. The formation of Cun clusters up to Cu7 inside helium nanodroplets was observed by means of electron impact ionization mass spectroscopy.