Probe and control of Rydberg wave packets in atoms and molecules

高激发态（高主量子数）里德伯原子和分子由于其介观尺度而被认为是连接经典世界和量子世界的桥梁，在量子信息处理中发挥着重要作用。虽然里德伯原子和分子的性质已经得到了广泛的研究，里德伯波包的动力学，例如，自电离态的布居和衰变还没有被完全理解。在题为“原子和分子中里德伯波包的探测和控制”的拟议工作中，我将开发一种新的泵浦探测实验，通过将超短激光脉冲与反应显微镜相结合，以解决里德伯原子和分子发射的电子波包的动力学。在所提出的工作的最后一部分，一个新的太赫兹（THz）脉冲产生装置将被建立，并将用于显着改善泵浦探测实验的THz脉冲作用在相同的时间尺度上的里德堡波包动力学。我的工作将有助于理解原子和分子的高激发态，这些高激发态总是在强激光脉冲中产生的，直到最近才在很大程度上被忽视。这些见解为新的遥感技术铺平了道路，并有助于化学反应的量子控制的发展。建议的工作也将对我在我的研究领域的科学技能产生积极的影响，并为向德国转移先进技术的目标服务。最后但并非最不重要的是，新的科学成就将有助于欧洲在强场激光物理领域的领导地位的繁荣发展。

Highly excited (high principle quantum number) Rydberg atoms and molecules, which are considered as a bridge between classical and quantum world due to their mesoscopic dimensions, can play a key role in quantum information processing. Although the properties of Rydberg atoms and molecules have been extensively investigated, the dynamics of Rydberg wave packets, e.g., the population and decay of autoionizing states, have not been fully understood. In the proposed work entitled "Probe and control of Rydberg wave packets in atoms and molecules", I will develop a novel pump-probe experiment by combining ultrashort laser pulses with a reaction microscope to resolve the dynamics of electronic wave packets emitted from the Rydberg atoms and molecules. In the last part of the proposed work, a new Terahertz (THz) pulse generation setup will be built, and will be used for significantly improving the pump-probe experiment as the THz pulses act on the same time scale as the Rydberg wave packet dynamics. My work will contribute to the understanding of the highly excited states of atoms and molecules, which are always produced in intense laser pulses, and have been largely ignored until recently. These insights pave the way towards new remote sensing techniques and contribute to the development of quantum control of chemical reactions. The proposed work will also have positive impact on my scientific skills in my research field and serve the goal of transferring advanced techniques to Germany. Last but not least, the new scientific achievements will contribute to the prosperous development of European Leadership in the field of strong-field laser physics.