Controlling Molecular Reactions Using Ultrafast Laser Pulses
Advances in laser technology have allowed for the production of extremely short laser pulses in time (“ultrafast” ~10-14 s), whose electric fields are comparable to the field that binds the electron and proton in a hydrogen atom. These ultrafast laser pulses have time durations that are similar to the time scales of molecular vibrations, making it possible to study motion at the atomic level. I will discuss our work using ultrafast laser pulses to study molecular reactions, and how by shaping the electric field of the laser pulse, we can exert control over the reaction. By using the results of these experiments, we gain an understanding about the quantum mechanical processes that take place during molecular reactions.