Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1505.04976 · Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Coherent control of bond making: the performance of rationally phase-shaped femtosecond laser pulses*

Liat Levin, Wojciech Skomorowski, Ronnie Kosloff, Christiane P. Koch, Zohar Amitay

Published Jul 29, 2015• 11 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract The first step in the coherent control of a photoinduced binary reaction is bond making or photoassociation. We have recently demonstrated coherent control of bond making in multi-photon femtosecond photoassociation of hot magnesium atoms, using linearly chirped pulses (Levin et al 2015 Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 233003 ). The detected yield of photoassociated magnesium dimers was enhanced by positively chirped pulses which is explained theoretically by a combination of purification and chirp-dependent Raman transitions. The yield could be further enhanced by pulse optimization resulting in pulses with an effective linear chirp and a sub-pulse structure, where the latter allows for exploiting vibrational coherences. Here, we systematically explore the efficiency of phase-shaped pulses for the coherent control of bond making, employing a parametrization of the spectral phases in the form of cosine functions. We find up to an order of magnitude enhancement of the yield compared to the unshaped transform-limited pulse. The highly performing pulses all display an overall temporally increasing instantaneous frequency and are composed of several overlapping sub-pulses. The time delay between the first two sub-pulses fits very well the vibrational frequency of the generated intermediate wavepacket. These findings are in agreement with chirp-dependent Raman transitions and exploitation of vibrational dynamics as underlying control mechanisms.

DOI
10.1088/0953-4075/48/18/184004

Related papers

Coherent Control of Bond Making

Liat Levin, Wojciech Skomorowski, Leonid Rybak +3 more

We demonstrate coherent control of bond making, a milestone on the way to coherent control of photoinduced bimolecular chemical reactions. In strong-field multiphoton femtosecond photoassociation experiments, we find the yield of detected magnesium dimer molecules to be enhanced for positively chirped pulses and suppressed for negatively chirped pulses. Our ab initio model shows that control is achieved by purification combined with chirp-dependent Raman transitions. Experimental closed-loop phase optimization using a learning algorithm yields an improved pulse that utilizes vibrational coherent dynamics in addition to chirp-dependent Raman transitions. Our results show that coherent control of binary photoreactions is feasible even under thermal conditions.

arXiv:1411.1542•Physical Review Letters•Jun 10, 2015•84 citations

Coherent control of ultrafast bond making and subsequent molecular dynamics

Liat Levin, Daniel M. Reich, Moran Geva +3 more

Quantum coherent control of ultrafast bond making and the subsequent molecular dynamics is crucial for the realization of a new photochemistry, where a shaped laser field is actively driving the chemical system in a coherent way from the thermal initial state of the reactants to the final state of the desired products. We demonstrate here coherent control over the relative yields of Mg2 molecules that are generated via photoassociation and subsequently photodriven into different groups of final states. The strong-field process involves non-resonant multiphoton femtosecond photoassociation of a pair of thermally hot magnesium atoms into a bound Mg2 molecule and subsequent molecular dynamics on electronically excited states. The branching-ratio control is achieved with linearly chirped laser pulses, utilizing the different chirp dependence that various groups of final molecular states display for their post-pulse population. Our joint experimental and theoretical study establishes the feasibility of high degree coherent control over quantum molecular dynamics that is initiated by femtosecond photoassociation of thermal atoms.

•Jan 1, 2022•6 citations

Coherent control of ultrafast bond making and subsequent molecular dynamics: demonstration of final-state branching ratio control

Liat Levin, Daniel M. Reich, Moran Geva +3 more

Abstract Quantum coherent control of ultrafast bond making and the subsequent molecular dynamics is crucial for the realization of a new photochemistry, where a shaped laser field is actively driving the chemical system in a coherent way from the thermal initial state of the reactants to the final state of the desired products. We demonstrate here coherent control over the relative yields of Mg 2 molecules that are generated via photoassociation and subsequently photodriven into different groups of final states. The strong-field process involves non-resonant multiphoton femtosecond photoassociation of a pair of thermally hot magnesium atoms into a bound Mg 2 molecule and subsequent molecular dynamics on electronically excited states. The branching-ratio control is achieved with linearly chirped laser pulses, utilizing the different chirp dependence that various groups of final molecular states display for their post-pulse population. Our joint experimental and theoretical study establishes the feasibility of high degree coherent control over quantum molecular dynamics that is initiated by femtosecond photoassociation of thermal atoms.

arXiv:2104.11786•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jul 9, 2021•0 citations

Femtosecond two-photon photoassociation of hot magnesium atoms: A quantum dynamical study using thermal random phase wavefunctions

Saieswari Amaran, Ronnie Kosloff, Michał Tomza +9 more

Two-photon photoassociation of hot magnesium atoms by femtosecond laser pulses, creating electronically excited magnesium dimer molecules, is studied from first principles, combining ab initio quantum chemistry and molecular quantum dynamics. This theoretical framework allows for rationalizing the generation of molecular rovibrational coherence from thermally hot atoms [L. Rybak, S. Amaran, L. Levin, M. Tomza, R. Moszynski, R. Kosloff, C. P. Koch, and Z. Amitay, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 273001 (2011)]. Random phase thermal wavefunctions are employed to model the thermal ensemble of hot colliding atoms. Comparing two different choices of basis functions, random phase wavefunctions built from eigenstates are found to have the fastest convergence for the photoassociation yield. The interaction of the colliding atoms with a femtosecond laser pulse is modeled non-perturbatively to account for strong-field effects.

arXiv:1201.1750•The Journal of Chemical Physics•Oct 28, 2013•37 citations

Photoassociation and coherent transient dynamics in the interaction of ultracold rubidium atoms with shaped femtosecond pulses - I. Experiment

Wenzel Salzmann, Terry Mullins, Simone Götz +10 more

We experimentally investigate various processes present in the photoassociative interaction of an ultracold atomic sample with shaped femtosecond laser pulses. We demonstrate the photoassociation of pairs of rubidium atoms into electronically excited, bound molecular states using spectrally cut femtosecond laser pulses tuned below the rubidium D1 or D2 asymptote. Time-resolved pump-probe spectra reveal coherent oscillations of the molecular formation rate, which are due to coherent transient dynamics in the electronic excitation. The oscillation frequency corresponds to the detun-ing of the spectral cut position to the asymptotic transition frequency of the rubidium D1 or D2 lines, respectively. Measurements of the molecular photoassociation signal as a function of the pulse energy reveal a non-linear dependence and indicate a non-perturbative excitation process. Chirping the association laser pulse allowed us to change the phase of the coherent transients. Furthermore, a signature for molecules in the electronic ground state is found, which is attributed to molecule formation by femtosecond photoassociation followed by spontaneous decay. In a subsequent article [A. Merli et al., submitted] quantum mechanical calculations are presented, which compare well with the experimental data and reveal further details about the observed coherent transient dynamics.

arXiv:0903.4549•Mar 26, 2009•0 citations

Generating Molecular Rovibrational Coherence by Two-Photon Femtosecond Photoassociation of Thermally Hot Atoms

Leonid Rybak, Saieswari Amaran, Liat Levin +5 more

The formation of diatomic molecules with rotational and vibrational coherence is demonstrated experimentally in free-to-bound two-photon femtosecond photoassociation of hot atoms. In a thermal gas at a temperature of 1000 K, pairs of magnesium atoms, colliding in their electronic ground state, are excited into coherent superpositions of bound rovibrational levels in an electronically excited state. The rovibrational coherence is probed by a time-delayed third photon, resulting in quantum beats in the UV fluorescence. A comprehensive theoretical model based on ab initio calculations rationalizes the generation of coherence by Franck-Condon filtering of collision energies and partial waves, quantifying it in terms of an increase in quantum purity of the thermal ensemble. Our results open the way to coherent control of a binary reaction.

arXiv:1107.4755•Physical Review Letters•Dec 27, 2011•58 citations
Abstract The first step in the coherent control of a photoinduced binary reaction is bond making or photoassociation. We have recently demonstrated coherent control of bond making in multi-photon femtosecond photoassociation of hot magnesium atoms, using linearly chirped pulses (Levin et al 2015 Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 233003 ). The detected yield of photoassociated magnesium dimers was enhanced by positively chirped pulses which is explained theoretically by a combination of purification and chirp-dependent Raman transitions. The yield could be further enhanced by pulse optimization resulting in pulses with an effective linear chirp and a sub-pulse structure, where the latter allows for exploiting vibrational coherences. Here, we systematically explore the efficiency of phase-shaped pulses for the coherent control of bond making, employing a parametrization of the spectral phases in the form of cosine functions. We find up to an order of magnitude enhancement of the yield compared to the unshaped transform-limited pulse. The highly performing pulses all display an overall temporally increasing instantaneous frequency and are composed of several overlapping sub-pulses. The time delay between the first two sub-pulses fits very well the vibrational frequency of the generated intermediate wavepacket. These findings are in agreement with chirp-dependent Raman transitions and exploitation of vibrational dynamics as underlying control mechanisms.
We demonstrate coherent control of bond making, a milestone on the way to coherent control of photoinduced bimolecular chemical reactions. In strong-field multiphoton femtosecond photoassociation experiments, we find the yield of detected magnesium dimer molecules to be enhanced for positively chirped pulses and suppressed for negatively chirped pulses. Our ab initio model shows that control is achieved by purification combined with chirp-dependent Raman transitions. Experimental closed-loop phase optimization using a learning algorithm yields an improved pulse that utilizes vibrational coherent dynamics in addition to chirp-dependent Raman transitions. Our results show that coherent control of binary photoreactions is feasible even under thermal conditions.
Quantum coherent control of ultrafast bond making and the subsequent molecular dynamics is crucial for the realization of a new photochemistry, where a shaped laser field is actively driving the chemical system in a coherent way from the thermal initial state of the reactants to the final state of the desired products. We demonstrate here coherent control over the relative yields of Mg2 molecules that are generated via photoassociation and subsequently photodriven into different groups of final states. The strong-field process involves non-resonant multiphoton femtosecond photoassociation of a pair of thermally hot magnesium atoms into a bound Mg2 molecule and subsequent molecular dynamics on electronically excited states. The branching-ratio control is achieved with linearly chirped laser pulses, utilizing the different chirp dependence that various groups of final molecular states display for their post-pulse population. Our joint experimental and theoretical study establishes the feasibility of high degree coherent control over quantum molecular dynamics that is initiated by femtosecond photoassociation of thermal atoms.
Abstract Quantum coherent control of ultrafast bond making and the subsequent molecular dynamics is crucial for the realization of a new photochemistry, where a shaped laser field is actively driving the chemical system in a coherent way from the thermal initial state of the reactants to the final state of the desired products. We demonstrate here coherent control over the relative yields of Mg 2 molecules that are generated via photoassociation and subsequently photodriven into different groups of final states. The strong-field process involves non-resonant multiphoton femtosecond photoassociation of a pair of thermally hot magnesium atoms into a bound Mg 2 molecule and subsequent molecular dynamics on electronically excited states. The branching-ratio control is achieved with linearly chirped laser pulses, utilizing the different chirp dependence that various groups of final molecular states display for their post-pulse population. Our joint experimental and theoretical study establishes the feasibility of high degree coherent control over quantum molecular dynamics that is initiated by femtosecond photoassociation of thermal atoms.
Two-photon photoassociation of hot magnesium atoms by femtosecond laser pulses, creating electronically excited magnesium dimer molecules, is studied from first principles, combining ab initio quantum chemistry and molecular quantum dynamics. This theoretical framework allows for rationalizing the generation of molecular rovibrational coherence from thermally hot atoms [L. Rybak, S. Amaran, L. Levin, M. Tomza, R. Moszynski, R. Kosloff, C. P. Koch, and Z. Amitay, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 273001 (2011)]. Random phase thermal wavefunctions are employed to model the thermal ensemble of hot colliding atoms. Comparing two different choices of basis functions, random phase wavefunctions built from eigenstates are found to have the fastest convergence for the photoassociation yield. The interaction of the colliding atoms with a femtosecond laser pulse is modeled non-perturbatively to account for strong-field effects.
We experimentally investigate various processes present in the photoassociative interaction of an ultracold atomic sample with shaped femtosecond laser pulses. We demonstrate the photoassociation of pairs of rubidium atoms into electronically excited, bound molecular states using spectrally cut femtosecond laser pulses tuned below the rubidium D1 or D2 asymptote. Time-resolved pump-probe spectra reveal coherent oscillations of the molecular formation rate, which are due to coherent transient dynamics in the electronic excitation. The oscillation frequency corresponds to the detun-ing of the spectral cut position to the asymptotic transition frequency of the rubidium D1 or D2 lines, respectively. Measurements of the molecular photoassociation signal as a function of the pulse energy reveal a non-linear dependence and indicate a non-perturbative excitation process. Chirping the association laser pulse allowed us to change the phase of the coherent transients. Furthermore, a signature for molecules in the electronic ground state is found, which is attributed to molecule formation by femtosecond photoassociation followed by spontaneous decay. In a subsequent article [A. Merli et al., submitted] quantum mechanical calculations are presented, which compare well with the experimental data and reveal further details about the observed coherent transient dynamics.
The formation of diatomic molecules with rotational and vibrational coherence is demonstrated experimentally in free-to-bound two-photon femtosecond photoassociation of hot atoms. In a thermal gas at a temperature of 1000 K, pairs of magnesium atoms, colliding in their electronic ground state, are excited into coherent superpositions of bound rovibrational levels in an electronically excited state. The rovibrational coherence is probed by a time-delayed third photon, resulting in quantum beats in the UV fluorescence. A comprehensive theoretical model based on ab initio calculations rationalizes the generation of coherence by Franck-Condon filtering of collision energies and partial waves, quantifying it in terms of an increase in quantum purity of the thermal ensemble. Our results open the way to coherent control of a binary reaction.