Matthias Kling
Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Munich
Thursday, January 29, 2009
4:00 p.m.
Cardwell 102
Attosecond Molecular Science
The control of the electric field waveform of laser light
E(t)=E0(t)cos(ωt+ɸ),
with envelope E0(t),
frequency
ω,
by the carrier envelope phase (CEP)
ɸ
opened the door for the direct manipulation of electron dynamics in atomic and
molecular systems. For frequencies in the range of visible light this waveform
changes on an attosecond timescale. Waveform controlled few-cycle pulses have
been used to control electron localization in the dissociative ionization of the
prototype molecules D2 and HD. These experiments will be introduced
together with recent efforts to resolve the electron localization dynamics on
attosecond timescales. New results on the phase dependent ionization, dynamic
orientation and dissociation of a multi-electron molecule, carbon monoxide (CO),
give evidence that the steering of electrons is not limited to single-electron
systems and that the future of attosecond
molecular science is bright.