Field-free three-dimensional alignment of polyatomic molecules.
We experimentally demonstrate field-free, three-dimensional alignment (FF3DA) of polyatomic asymmetric top molecules. We achieve FF3DA in sulfur dioxide gas using two time-delayed, orthogonally polarized, nonresonant, femtosecond laser pulses. Our method avoids the use of rotational revivals and is therefore more robust to temperature. The alignment is probed using time-delayed coincidence Coulomb explosion imaging. FF3DA will be important for all molecular imaging, dynamics, or spectroscopy experiments for which random alignment leads to a loss of information.
Lee
Kevin F
KF
Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada.
Villeneuve
D M
DM
Corkum
P B
PB
Stolow
Albert
A
Underwood
Jonathan G
JG