Strong-Field Correlation and Control in 2- and 3-Atom Systems

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports two projects that focus on field-induced collective motion and quantum control in multi-electron and multi-atom systems. The experiments employ intense femtosecond pulses to excite and control isolated systems, and imagining instrumentation to monitor quantitatively energy and angular correlation between simultaneously ejected components. The subject of the first project is three-atom systems undergoing field-induced Coulomb explosion. The fact that the vibrational motion of linear and nonlinear triatomic molecules leads to different explosion dynamics will be exploited to control the branching ratio between explosion channels. In the second project two-atom systems will be studied. In particular, the coupling between the nuclear and electronic motion in the presence of strong laser fields will be investigated in the molecule HD.