Related papers: Molecular alignment using circularly polarized las…
We introduce a new optical tool - a "two-dimensional optical centrifuge", capable of aligning molecules in extreme rotational states. Unlike the conventional centrifuge, which confines the molecules in the plane of their rotation, its…
The present work reports on the generation of short-pulse coherent extreme ultraviolet radiation of controlled polarization. The proposed strategy is based on high-order harmonics generated in pre-aligned molecules. Field-free molecular…
We explore the role of laser induced anti-alignment in enhancing molecular orientation. A field-free enhanced orientation via anti-alignment scheme is presented, which combines a linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulse with a half-cycle…
We show that field-free molecular orientation induced by a half-cycle pulse may be considerably enhanced by an additional laser pulse inducing molecular anti-alignment. Two qualitatively different enhancement mechanisms are identified…
Several laser techniques have been suggested and demonstrated recently for preparing polarizable molecules in rapidly spinning states with a disc-like angular distribution. We consider motion of these spinning discs in inhomogeneous fields,…
We introduce a new scheme for controlling the sense of molecular rotation. By varying the polarization and the delay between two ultrashort laser pulses, we induce unidirectional molecular rotation, thereby forcing the molecules to rotate…
An investigation of field-free molecular alignment produced by elliptically polarized laser pulses is reported. Experiments are conducted in CO$_2$ at room temperature. A non invasive all-optical technique, based on the cross defocusing of…
We consider deflection of polarizable molecules by inhomogeneous optical fields, and analyze the role of molecular orientation and rotation in the scattering process. It is shown that molecular rotation induces spectacular rainbow-like…
Alignment and orientation of molecules by intense, ultrashort laser fields are crucial for a variety of applications in physics and chemistry. These include control of high harmonics generation, molecular orbitals tomography, control of…
High harmonic generation in benzene is studied using a mixed quantum-classical approach in which the electrons are described using time-dependent density functional theory while the ions move classically. The interaction with both…
We investigate the process of circularly polarized high harmonic generation in molecules using a bicircular laser field. In this context, we show that molecules offer a very robust framework for the production of circularly polarized…
We consider solid surface scattering of molecules that were subject to strong non-resonant ultrashort laser pulses just before hitting the surface. The pulses modify the rotational states of the molecules, causing their field free…
We show that a linear molecule subjected to a short specific elliptically polarized laser field yields postpulse revivals exhibiting alignment alternatively located along the orthogonal axis and the major axis of the ellipse. The effect is…
We experimentally observe the action of multiple light pulses on the transverse motion of a continuous beam of fullerenes. The light potential is generated by non-resonant ultra-short laser pulses in perpendicular spatial overlap with the…
We use an optical centrifuge to align asymmetric top $\mathrm{SO_2}$ molecules by adiabatically spinning their most polarizable O-O axis. The effective centrifugal potential in the rotating frame confines sulfur atoms to the plane of the…
We study interaction of generic asymmetric molecules with a pair of strong time-delayed short laser pulses with crossed linear polarizations. We show that such an excitation not only provides unidirectional rotation of the most polarizable…
This study shows the unexpected and counter-intuitive possibility of simultaneously orienting a molecule while delocalizing its molecular axis in a plane in field-free conditions. The corresponding quantum states are characterized and…
We review on the theoretical status of intense laser orientation and alignment. The evolution of the rotational wave packet and its dynamics leading to orientation and alignment is the topic of the present discussion. The major part of the…
The field-free alignment and orientation of the linear molecule by the two-color trapezoidal laser pulses were theoretically investigated. The trapezoidal shape of a laser pulse allows to enhance the maximum alignment degree for the same…
We propose and computationally study a method for simultaneously orienting the angular momentum of asymmetric top molecules along: 1) a laboratory-fixed direction; 2) the molecular intermediate moment of inertia axis; 3) the laser field…