Abstract

One of the most enticing notions of modern optical physics is the idea that one can manipulate the quantum state of atoms and molecules, and thus “engineer” the properties of matter at its most fundamental level. Homonuclear diatomic molecules are model systems for studying quantum control. They have several degrees of freedom associated with different particles (three are particularly useful: the internuclear vibrational and rotational coordinates and the electronic coordinate) and each degree of freedom has a low dissipation rate as compared to its characteristic frequency. The coupling of the electronic and vibrational degree of freedom allows the preparation of arbitrary vibrational wave packets in both excited and ground electronic states of the molecules by the application of optical radiation.

© 1999 Optical Society of America