Taming molecular collisions

Sebastiaan Y. T. van de Meerakker, Hendrick L. Bethlem, Gerard Meijer

Jesús Pérez‐Ríos

M. Brouard, David H. Parker, Sebastiaan Y. T. van de Meerakker

The motion of molecules that possess a permanent electric or magnetic dipole moment can be manipulated using electric or magnetic fields. Various devices have been developed over the last few decades to deflect or focus molecules, to orient them in space, and to decelerate or accelerate them. These precisely controlled molecules are ideal starting points for scattering experiments that reveal the quantum mechanical nature of molecular interactions. In this Tutorial Review, we present an overview of the various manipulation tools, discuss how they can be used to advantage in molecular beam scattering experiments, and review recent progress in this field. We describe a selection of benchmark experiments that illustrate the unique possibilities that are available nowadays to study molecular collisions under controlled conditions.

James F. E. Croft, N. Balakrishnan

Jolijn Onvlee, Sjoerd N. Vogels, Sebastiaan Y. T. van de Meerakker

In the last two decades, enormous progress has been made in the manipulation of molecular beams. In particular, molecular decelerators have been developed with which advanced control over neutral molecules in a beam can be achieved. By using arrays of inhomogeneous and time-varying electric (or magnetic) fields, bunches of molecules can be produced with a tunable velocity, narrow velocity spreads, and almost perfect quantum-state purity. These monochromatic or "tamed" molecular beams are ideally suited to be used in crossed-molecular-beam scattering experiments. Here, we review the first generation of these "cold and controlled" scattering experiments that have been conducted in the last decade and discuss the prospects for this emerging field of research in the years to come.

Gerard Meijer