Laser-induced 3D alignment and orientation of quantum state-selected molecules.
A strong inhomogeneous static electric field is used to spatially disperse a rotationally cold supersonic beam of 2,6-difluoroiodobenzene molecules according to their rotational quantum state. The molecules in the lowest-lying rotational states are selected and used as targets for 3-dimensional alignment and orientation. The alignment is induced in the adiabatic regime with an elliptically polarized, intense laser pulse and the orientation is induced by the combined action of the laser pulse and a weak static electric field. We show that the degree of 3-dimensional alignment and orientation is strongly enhanced when rotational state-selected molecules, rather than molecules in the original molecular beam, are used as targets.
Department of Chemistry, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Iftach
I
Nevo
Lotte
L
Holmegaard
Jens H
JH
Nielsen
Jonas L
JL
Hansen
Henrik
H
Stapelfeldt
Frank
F
Filsinger
Gerard
G
Meijer
Jochen
J
Küpper