Strong Field Coherent Control: Interpreting Control Dynamics and Measuring Wave Functions

这个研究项目正在发展对强场激光脉冲如何用于控制分子解离的理解，并将这种理解应用于表征非平衡分子波函数。我们正在从原子和简单分子的控制演示转向对分子控制的定量理解，并将控制扩展到多电子系统。我们的目标是融合波函数测量与强场激光控制，以了解我们可以表征的分子波函数的细微特征如何影响化学相关动力学（即键断裂和形成）。该研究项目不断寻求将教学和研究结合起来，并影响广泛的参与者。参与研究的人员包括本科生（通过NSF本科生研究经验计划访问的学生以及石溪大学的学生），当地高中教师（通过NSF教师研究经验计划），研究生，博士后研究员和访问学者。在这个小组的5名博士生中，有3名是女性。PI最近开发并教授了一门与研究计划密切配合的新研究生课程，重点是原子和分子物理的时域方法以及相干控制。该小组与两个理论小组开展了密切的合作，强调通过详细的计算对他们的测量进行定性和定量解释，并使小组中的学生接触实验和理论的第一手资料。这项工作本质上是多学科的，鼓励学生在物理和化学的边界上发展知识和兴趣。它还在光学、超快激光技术、真空硬件、数据采集硬件和计算机编程等使能领域提供优秀的技术和科学培训。

This research program is developing the understanding of how strong field laser pulses can be used to control molecular dissociation and applying this understanding to characterizing non-equilibrium molecular wave functions. We are moving from demonstrations of control in atoms and simple molecules toward a quantitative understanding of molecular control and extending control to multi-electron systems. We aim to fuse wave function measurement with strong field laser control in order to see how the subtle features of molecular wave functions which we can characterize affect the chemically relevant dynamics (i.e. bond breaking and formation).This research program continually seeks to integrate teaching and research and impact a large range of participants. People involved in the research include undergraduate students (visiting students through the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program as well as students at Stony Brook University), local high school teachers (through the NSF Research Experience for Teachers program), graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars. Of the five PhD students in the group, three are women. The PI recently developed and taught a new graduate course closely coordinated with the research program, focusing on a time domain approach to atomic and molecular physics and coherent control. The group has developed close collaborations with two theory groups, emphasizing qualitative and quantitative interpretations of their measurements through detailed calculations and exposing the students in the group to both experiment and theory firsthand. The work is inherently multi-disciplinary, and encourages students to develop knowledge and interests at the boundary between physics and chemistry. It also provides excellent technical and scientific training in the enabling areas of optics, ultrafast laser technology, vacuum hardware, data acquisition hardware and computer programming.