Indiana Section of the Society for Applied SpectroscopyIndiana Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy
2001-2002 Seminar Abstracts
USING LASERS TO OBSERVE AND CONTROL MOLECULAR DYNAMICS
Dr. Marcos Dantus
Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics and Astronomy Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1322
http://www.cem.msu.edu/~dantus/
In the Dantus Research Group for Ultrafast Dynamics
and Control of Chemical Reactions, work is proceeding along two lines. The more
fundamental work focuses on laser-molecule interactions. We are exploring
coherent nonlinear multiple pulse methods to observe ground and excited state
vibrational and rotational dynamics.1
The methods being developed, in addition to having a high intrinsic
spectroscopic value, can be used to encode and manipulate information that is
stored on quantum superpositions of states. This capability can be considered
useful for constructing a molecule based quantum computer. The more applied work
is aimed at controlling chemical reactivity.2
The goal for laser control is to have the energy localize on a desired bond
instead of dissipating throughout the entire molecule. This requires very
specific amplitude and phase information to be introduced in the laser pulse.
One can envision selective bond fission in a molecule (a unimolecular process)
or the reaction between two reagents (a bimolecular process) to produce the
desired product. In principle, laser-synthesis or laser-catalysis could be used
to produce unique products that defy conventional synthetic methods. We believe
that 'Smart' photons, from ultrafast shaped-pulses, will revolutionize
techniques such as laser machining, laser deposition, and laser desorption in
the near future.
1 M. Dantus, ‘Ultrafast four-wave mixing in the gas phase,” Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 52, 639 (2001).
2
M. Dantus, “Laser Control of
Chemical Reactions,” Chemical and Engineering News, March 26, p. 191 (2001).
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