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Coherent interference of molecular electronic states in NO by two-color femtosecond laser pulses

Wenhui Hu, Yong Liu, Sizuo Luo, Xing Li, Jiaqi Yu, Xiaokai Li, Zhigang Sun, Kai-Jun Yuan, André D. Bandrauk, and Dajun Ding
Phys. Rev. A 99, 011402(R) – Published 22 January 2019
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Abstract

Quantum coherence interference between electronic states in molecules is an important factor for controlling electronic and nuclear dynamics in photoinduced physics and chemistry. We measure and model molecular angle-dependent photoionization yields to explore coherent interference dynamics between quasiequal energy electronic-vibrational states of the nitric oxide molecule, NO, by ultrafast phase-controlled two-color femtosecond laser pulses. We demonstrate by experiment and theory that the photoelectron angular distribution of NO, where two excited electronic states are coherently combined by ultrafast pulses, is a function of the relative phase of the pulses, and the photoelectron kinetic energy. The modification of photoelectron emission angular patterns encodes the information of the coherence via electronic state interference. The result allows access to phase-dependent state correlations and ultrafast vibrationic dynamics in molecules.

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  • Received 10 October 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.99.011402

©2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Wenhui Hu1, Yong Liu2, Sizuo Luo1,*, Xing Li1, Jiaqi Yu1, Xiaokai Li1, Zhigang Sun2, Kai-Jun Yuan1,3,†, André D. Bandrauk3, and Dajun Ding1,‡

  • 1Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
  • 3Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1

  • *luosz@jlu.edu.cn
  • kaijun.yuan@usherbrooke.ca
  • dajund@jlu.edu.cn

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Issue

Vol. 99, Iss. 1 — January 2019

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